Minaka Muyo! (No Need For Minaka!)
by Speck
Summary: When a new character arrives at the Masaki household, lives change... be gentle, first fic. ^_^** PG13 for upcoming chapters, please R&R.
1. New Friends and Revelations

All characters seeming familiar to the Tenchi Muyo! series (c)AIC/Pioneer are as such (copywritten to the above, of course); all other characters (Minaka, Tetsuri, etc.) are of my own warped little mind. Author notes are at the end of this chapter.  
  
Part 1  
Minaka Muyo! (No Need For Minaka!)  
By Speck  
  
Chapter 1: New Friends and Revelations  
  
It was a beautiful autumn day. The sun was shining brightly in the noontime sky, reflecting off of the crystal clear water in Funaho Pond, and the sounds of numerous small birds filled the air. What excuse was there not to have a picnic on a day like this?  
Helping Sasami to cart seven bento boxes and seven canteens of miso soup out to the lakeside, Tenchi looked out upon the day, and smiled. How perfect it all was, so quiet and peaceful, and-  
"I said I'M going to carry the blanket, you little twerp!"  
"Oh no you're not! I'm not going to have your nasty germs all over this lovely blanket. Now, FORK IT OVER IMMEDIATELY!"  
Tenchi sighed. "I knew it... too perfect to be true for sure..."  
Looking over his shoulder, he watched as Aeka and Ryoko engaged in a tug of war over the traditional picnic blanket.   
"Oh, alright, Aeka... here, you take it!!"  
Ryoko suddenly released the half of blanket she had in her grasp, spasming with laughter as Aeka flew head over heels backwards. Shoving the blanket off her twisted form, Aeka sprang to her feet and glared at Ryoko menacingly.  
"You horrible, uncultured slob! How dare you embarrass me like this in front of Lord Tenchi! I ought to-..."  
"Ooh, that sounded like a challenge to me! C'mon, princess, lessee whatcha got!"  
Ryoko manifested her energy sword at about the same time Aeka summoned her small, cylindrical wooden guardians. Growling loudly at each other, they charged-  
THWACK! WHONGO!  
Suddenly, both girls found themselves staring at the ground that had previously been beneath their feet. Washuu stood above them, holding small paper fans in both hands.  
"Now girls, it's a perfectly wonderful day out, so nice I found it necessary to halt my experiments for a day and get a little R and R... please don't force me to change you both into mini kappa again just so it can stay that way, okay?"  
Immediately changing their act, Ryoko and Aeka hastened to get down to the lakeside with the blanket, while Washuu stood behind and pocketed her fans. As much as she liked the girls, sometimes a little force had to be taken with them in order to keep things running smoothly.  
"Let's eat!"  
Lunchtime. Once again, Sasami had outdone herself, and the teriyaki chicken and rice cakes proved it.   
"Ooh, this is sooo good! Yummy!"   
Mihoshi scarfed down her lunch before anyone could blink an eye, and had already started in on the miso soup. Kiyone, perched next to her companion, muttered something about Mihoshi having an appetite bigger than her brain, but somehow, Mihoshi hadn't heard a word she said. Ryo-Ohki, the small cabbit, munched happily on a large pile of carrots that Sasami had so generously packed for her, and paid no heed to her surroundings...  
Until she felt a small shift in the atmosphere. Sniffing the air, her ears twitching, she could detect the faint changes, and knew that something was fast approaching. Fast, and dangerous.  
"MIYA! Meow mreow mowr mreeo!"  
Meowing in alarm, she hopped first to Ryoko, then to Tenchi, and finally to Washuu, meowing at each of them and pointing her tiny, furred body in the direction of the impending danger.  
Tenchi, unversed in the cabbit language, looked about in puzzlement. "What did she say, Ryoko? Washuu?"  
Already, Washuu had summoned up her small, translucent computer, and had begun calculating data. Ryoko translated for Tenchi.  
"Ryo-Ohki says there's a ship coming in for a landing.. She can feel the atmospheric temperature change because of the ship's descent..."   
"That's my girl," Washuu grinned. "And, according to my calculations, Ryo-Ohki is more than right. The ship is going to land here, in these parameters, in less than a minute. Hmm... that's odd..."  
"What's the matter, Washuu?" Tenchi asked.  
"Lady Aeka, c'mere for a minute, would'ya?" Washuu called Aeka over. The two discussed for a moment, Aeka nodding her head, and then Washuu announced her findings.  
"Well, if the data analysis is right (and in my case, it is hardly ever wrong), the ship is of Juraian descent... not only that, but it is a second-generation fighter ship. I've sent out hailing frequencies, but nothing's come back yet..."  
A small blip sounded from Washuu's computer, and she pressed a button. A large, transparent screen appeared, and along with it, a face.  
"This is Minaka, and my ship, Neku-oh. Requesting... permission to land..."  
The girl suddenly slipped out of view, and a thump could be heard. Neku-oh called out to its master.  
"Minaka? Minaka, you must wake up! Oh no..."  
Washuu hit a comlink button, and talked to the ship. "Neku-oh, can you hear me?"  
"Yes... my master has requested-..."  
"Yes, we know all that... permission to land granted. What's happened to Minaka?"  
The ship paused.  
"Neku-oh, what has happened to Minaka?"  
The comlink failed, and Neku-oh's frequency dropped out of range.  
"I wouldn't look now, but... here comes Neku-oh!"  
The large fighter ship appeared, as if out of thin air. A force field counteracted with the surrounding atmosphere, and slowed the ship's descent. Nonetheless, large tidal waves rippled along the surface of Funaho Pond, and crashed into shore. Finally, the ship stopped, and a hum could be heard.  
"The transport beam... its readying to deposit Minaka," Washuu mused.  
A thin beam of red light shot down from the nose of the ship, and gradually widened. It finally formed a circle of light large enough to accommodate a human's proportions, and gave off a gentle whirr.   
But instead of depositing an upright passenger, a huddled form materialized, and appeared at the feet of the befuddled group.   
"Oh my God, it looks like she's hurt!" exclaimed Aeka, kneeling down to the girl's level. A soft moan seemed to confirm this, as the girl curled in upon herself.  
"No... no more, please... no..."  
Washuu cocked her head to one side, and kneeled down herself for a closer inspection. The girl had a large, dark red mark along the side of her neck... it looked like a bruise, but from what? She touched it gently, and the girl suddenly awoke, screaming.  
"No... NO! Get away from me..." Her bright, amber-hued eyes, shimmering with fear, glanced about wildly, looking for something or someone. Her eyes rested on Aeka.  
"L...Lady? Lady Aeka?... is that really you?..."  
Aeka, a bit puzzled, keenly looked back at the girl. "Why... yes, I am Lady Aeka... have we... met before?"  
The girl, suddenly humbled, prostrated herself on the ground in front of Aeka. "Oh, my Lady, please forgive me... we have not met, of course, but... back on Jurai, I heard so much about you... you are sort of a legend, of course, being of the Royal Family and all... I'd never expect to have found you here, on such a remote part of Juraian airspace..."  
The girl glanced about again, her senses less deadened by the fear she had exhibited before. "Are these people... friends?"  
Aeka paused. "Why, of course they're friends!" She blinked. "Oh dear, just look at me... I know they are my friends, but you've not been introduced."  
Introductions began with that of Tenchi. "He is the grandson of the long lost Prince, Yosho."  
The girl's eyes widened. "Really?" She reached out to touch Tenchi's shirt, as if the feeling of him in itself was like being close to a god. Ryoko growled in displeasure, and the girl quickly retracted her hand.  
"Ryoko, you foul little... urgh... That would be Ryoko, as in-..."  
"Space Pirate Ryoko, yup, that's me... I'm rough, tough, and in charge around here..."  
Aeka could feel herself boiling. "Ryoko... Don't scare poor Minaka like that. She's gone through enough as it is..."  
"Well, if she lays a finger on Tenchi, she'll be less one digit. That's all I have to say."  
Minaka backed away in fear. "I'm sorry... I really didn't mean... it's just... he's..."  
She felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. Turning, she found herself face to face with Washuu.  
"Ahh, finally, someone who's just my height! Perfect. Anyway, don't worry about Ryoko... my daughter can be awfully temperamental at times..."  
Minaka seemed to balk at this. Looking from Ryoko to Washuu, she seemed a bit perplexed.  
"My, but you don't look a thing like each... oh dear, how uncalled for..." She blushed.  
Washuu's grin only widened, and she slung an arm about the girl's shoulder. "Aw, don't worry about it! It's a long story anyway."  
A pause hung in the air, as Minaka looked about. Suddenly, she gasped.  
"Is that it? Wow..."  
The gang watched as Minaka walked quietly up to the formidable tree in the middle of Funaho Pond, the tree that was the bearer of the pond's namesake.  
"So... you're Funaho... my, but you are a beautiful tree... just look at you... no wonder Neku-oh picked you up on his radar so fast... you're gorgeous!"  
Ryoko gawked. "Is it just me, or is she talking to that tree?"  
Aeka grinned. "No, you silly, mislead thing... she's speaking to the spirit of Funaho... you of all people should know that the Royal Trees are self-aware, and highly intelligent at that."  
Ryoko grumbled something inaudible, but kept to herself. Minaka stroked the tree's trunk, and walked around it, marveling at it and praising it. Finally, she returned to the group.  
"I should explain myself better... one of the reasons I'm here is because-..."  
She stopped short, and gave a small gasp. Hunching over, she moaned, and finally collapsed to the ground, her features seizing in spasms. Washuu knelt down again, and grabbed the girl's wrist. Her pulse was spasmodic, and her wrist... was red hot. Gasping and pulling away her own hand, she noted that she had gotten slightly burned.  
"What in hell?..."  
Carefully seizing the girl's hand, she gently pulled back the sleeve on Minaka's gown, and found the same dark red bruise-like mark on her wrist as she had spotted on her neck. Touching it resulted in the same fire hot sensation she had gotten when she had felt for Minaka's pulse. It also resulted in Minaka screaming again, only to awake quickly, and fall back into unconsciousness.  
"Strange... very strange," Washuu muttered. She hefted the girl into her arms, and turned to the group.  
"Everyone, back to the house, now. We have a pretty big emergency here. I'm gonna take Minaka to my lab to do some testing... There's something going on with this girl that's not only skin deep, but it's her skin that's worrying me."  
Washuu became transparent, and disappeared, leaving the group to straggle back to the house, and wonder to themselves just what in heck was going on.  
*****  
Hours later, Minaka awoke. She found herself in a dark room filled with buzzing machines, tanks filled with numerous intergalactic creatures... and one Nurse Washuu.  
"Hey, ya finally woke up! Great... how are you feeling?"  
Minaka struggled with her words. Never had she felt so fuzzy before.  
"I... guess I'm okay... mm... what happened?..." She leaned up, and suddenly found that she had been undressed, and wrapped in bandages. She blushed, and fell to her back again.  
"Don't worry, it's not like I've never seen anatomy before," Washuu grinned. She pulled up a floating cushion and sat down, carefully looking over Minaka's body, the places where, instead of bandages, small sensors were applied. She called up her computer again, and checked the resulting data from the sensors.  
"Well, it seems that your skin temperature's gone down in the places where the burns are, but even then, what puzzles me is that the burns aren't fresh. I wonder what's causing the temperature to fluctuate? I have an idea, but it's still unusual, even for electroshock burns..."  
Minaka gave out a quiet gasp. "How... how did you know?..."  
Washuu grinned again. "They don't call me the most brilliant mind in the universe for nothing, ya know. I know lots of stuff, kiddo. Like, for example, you, my dear, are pregnant, and, in earth terms, at least 4 1/2 months or so."  
Minaka felt like making herself the smallest bit of nothing possible, but also knew she couldn't hide her story for long.  
"Please don't tell the others..."  
"Well, I can cover up the burn side of it easy enough, but the baby thing's going to be hard after a while, you know."  
Minaka blushed. "Not that... they can know about that, of course... but, the rest of it... I have to tell you, you seem to be a scientist... I mean, the lab gives it away of course, but... being a scientist, maybe you can help me..."  
Washuu's interest piqued, and she moved closer, peering at Minaka. "Tell me everything."  
"Well... it all started... I suppose, a few... months ago, in earth terms...   
"I am a bit of a warrior. That's where I got Neku-oh from. I'd had Neku-oh since he was a seedling, and we are good friends. I wonder how he's doing now?... But anyway, I am a bit of a warrior. I even was a part of the Royal Guard, protecting Jurai from invading space pirates and other such scum of the universe. But, I'm also very naive... too naive..."  
Minaka seemed to choke up at this point. Washuu reached out a hand, to have it clasped firmly by the poor girl.  
"The Royal Guard is carefully chosen, as I'm sure you know, but even the closest of inspections can leave out the tiniest detail. That's what I got when I met up with Tetsuri. He seemed nice enough, a true defender and a loyal fighter. He also seemed like a nice lover... heh. He's the father of my baby. I was hoping we would get settled, have a nice life together... but then he got abusive. If I said something he decided he didn't like, he would lead me, sometimes forcibly, to a private place just so he could beat me. Then one day, he told me something I didn't need to hear. He was a spy, sent out by a pirating crew that had been menacing Jurai for some time. He had been sent to blend in with the Juraians, become a part of us, and lure us into thinking he was a loyal man capable of being in the Royal Guard. He had even proved it in several test spars against captains. He was a Juraian, yes, and was a strange one... he was able to create the Lighthawk Wings on his own, and as such was a valuable asset to the Royal Guard. He had just "seen the light", as he termed it, and had gone off in search of bigger and better things. He had become a pirate, and a spy, and had done what it was that he had been sent out to do. He had infiltrated Juraian space, and had been feeding secrets to the pirates. Me? I was just a "bit of fun". He doesn't care about the baby, or the feelings I had... the feelings I still have..."  
She paused, a sob catching in her throat. She composed herself, and continued.  
"After he told me this, of course, I went to alert the rest of the Guard of the infiltration. He caught me, realizing he had made a huge mistake in telling me his true identity, and brought me back to the pirates' fortress that was floating just outside of radar detection. He said that I knew too much, and would have to be destroyed. That's when the pirates made their big break. They attacked Jurai, and made a personal announcement to all of Jurai, stating that they were beginning their attack, and were going to start it off with a bang. They tortured me for hours, in front of thousands of Juraians. The pirates said that this is what would happen to any Juraians that tried to get in their way. The electric shocks and burns just kept coming and coming... it seemed they would never stop... finally, they did. The pirates took me for dead, and sent me back to Jurai, as a sort of reminder to keep out of their way. I pretty much was dead... at that point, I had been shocked and burned so severely by the pirates' tools of pain, I was nothing more than a barely surviving shell. They dressed me in those gowns, packed me into Neku-oh, and sent Neku-oh on his way... they truly believed I was dead, and so did Neku-oh. His main unit was still crying over my body when I awoke.  
"When I finally came fully to, I realized I had no idea where I was. Floating in space, nothing but blackness all around me... I was lost, and scared of being alone. Neku-oh advised that we had better find someplace safe to land, or the pirates would detect us and capture me again. But I didn't know what to do at all. He suggested that we find a place where Juraian energy thrived, and was strongest. I didn't know how to find that, either. Funny, it makes me wonder just how I got into the Royal Guard without having a sense of direction..."  
Reflectively thinking of how Mihoshi could have gotten into Galaxy Police with the same sense of direction, none at all, Washuu comforted the girl. "Don't worry... that doesn't matter now, and besides, you had just been through a terribly traumatizing ordeal... how could you remember much of anything?"  
Minaka nodded. "Yes, I suppose you're right... well, as I said, Neku-oh suggested that we land on a planet with a strong source of Jurai energy. Well, he set about searching the galaxy, and came back with a reported find. Of all the traces of Jurai energy he could find, there was one potent form residing on a distant planet. Her name was Funaho, and the planet was Earth. He set coordinates to land here... and that's when the pain started up..."  
Washuu nodded her head. "I see. That explains a lot, doesn't it?..."  
Turning to a console, Washuu set up search parameters. Minaka was about to ask what she was doing, when Washuu explained.  
"You see, at first I didn't realize what had caused your burn marks, let alone that they were burn marks. Analysis of the scar tissue and structure of the burns revealed that they were burns, and burns caused by electronic shock devices. However, what I needed to know was what was causing the burns to become red hot, and, consequentially, what caused you to be in such pain. Like I said, I had an idea, but I needed to know just what and who caused the burns. Your telling me that it was space pirates' work that did this gives me, unfortunately, a good idea of the types of tools used to inflict the burns.  
"Space pirates, much like that of my daughter Ryoko, but much nastier, have access to all kinds of weapons and tools of torture. Looks like they used the worst kind of all on you, my dear."  
The search console beeped, and an image of a long, prodlike weapon appeared on a screen. Minaka gave a short yelp.  
"That's it! That's exactly the thing they used to torture me!..." Minaka's gaze shifted to Washuu, whose face reflected deep resentment and anger.  
"...What is it, exactly, Miss Washuu? Please... tell me... I can take it..."  
Washuu shook her head. "I don't know, kiddo, this information might be a bit much..."  
Minaka grasped Washuu's hand tightly, and gave a look of determination. "Please, tell me."  
Washuu sighed, and came close to Minaka, kneeling by the bedside.  
"Well, Minaka, they used a standard prod. But... they used an attachment on the end of it, much like this,"-an image of a needle-like attachment flashed on the console's screen- "to inject a macrovirus into one of the fresh burns. It's a rare virus, too... out of the entire galaxy, only one in billions is known to get it. It's spreading through the burns on your body, and will flare up every so often, causing pain and releasing vast amounts of heat. The poisons in the virus are slow reactors, and will take a while, but will eventually... destroy your tissues and kill you. The destruction won't be visible, like, there'll be no actual way to tell that the disease is progressing, but it is. The process generally takes ages, but in a weakened state, such as your pregnancy, it will take very little time for the virus to kill you... it will kill you before you have your baby."  
A long, painful pause hung in the air, cloying and thick. Finally, a choke ripped from Minaka's throat.  
"No... p-please, no..."  
Her body shuddered, and tears dripped from her face to the blankets draped over her body. Finally, she gave a heartwrenching sob, and flung herself into Washuu's arms, crying, screaming with sorrow. Washuu closed her eyes, and tried desperately not to let herself break down. She had only known this girl for a short while, but already, she felt that she and Minaka were old friends, and felt she shared much in common with this girl. A tear coursed its way down Washuu's cheek, and landed softly in Minaka's dark blue hair.  
"Minaka," Washuu pulled Minaka away from her, and gazed deeply into her eyes. "Minaka... I swear to you, I will do everything... everything I can... to save you. I won't let you die, not now, not ever. I'm going to get to work on it right away, right now, okay? I'll get a cure... I will."  
Minaka smiled at Washuu's determination, and hugged her waist. "Thank you, Miss Washuu... thank you for trying..."  
"Trying? HA! I'm GOING to get you better, or I'm really not the greatest genius in the universe!"  
Helping Minaka from the bed, Washuu led her through her pseudo-laboratory, and out into the Masaki living room, where the rest of the gang waited. However, one thought plagued her already active mind. Who was this Tetsuri, and how was he able to create Lighthawk Wings on his own?  
*****  
"A BABY?! Wow, how neat!"  
Sasami's eyes lit up at this announcement. The rest of the group seemed rather pleased at this as well, all save for Ryoko, who continued to grumble under her breath.  
"Great, a baby... I hate babies... dirty, ugly, and-.."  
A paper fan stuck out of Ryoko's silver-blue mane as she tumbled to the floor.  
"Watch your manners, Ryoko," Washuu warned.  
"So, do you know what it's gonna be yet?" Mihoshi asked.  
Sasami grinned and shook her head at Mihoshi. "Silly, of course she doesn't. Her baby isn't even this big yet!" She indicated with her hands what she interpreted the size of the baby to be.  
Washuu tut-tutted, and produced a graph. "Actually, Sasami, at 4 1/2 months, the baby is precisely this big, and of course you can tell what sex it'll be at this size. All I'd need to do is take an ultrasonic picture, and look really closely..."  
Minaka looked apologetic. "Actually, I'd rather keep it a surprise.. You know, sort of like a... birthday present."  
Washuu harumphed quietly, but grinned nonetheless. "Ah, no problem. I know-..." she trailed off...  
"The feeling..."  
An embarrassed silence took hold, when Washuu coughed. "Oh, my my, look at the time! I have some things to do, if you'd all kindly excuse me, I'll be in my lab if anybody needs anything okay buh-by-yee!"  
And with that, she disappeared.  
Sitting in the middle of the sofa, Minaka felt awkward, alone without her new friend. Sasami poked her face into Minaka's vision, and smiled.  
"So, what do you think the baby will be?"  
"Well, I, uh..." Minaka looked about with embarrassment.  
"Oh... yes, I must be off as well. I have a few chores I need to finish up, you know, sweeping the steps at the shrine, stuff like that."  
Tenchi moved to the door. Ryoko perked up and floated after him.  
"Oh, let me help you, Tenchi! You know how much I loooove to sweep!"  
Aeka snickered under her breath. "Ha, now, there's a first."  
Ryoko glared daggers at Aeka and continued on.  
"Oh, I may as well follow after her and make sure she doesn't cause Lord Tenchi any trouble. See you at dinnertime, Minaka!" Aeka said, hurrying off after Ryoko and Tenchi.  
"Hmm... it is about time for our shift to start at Burger Hut. C'mon, Mihoshi, we gotta go!"  
Mihoshi looked at Kiyone with big blue puppy-dog eyes. "Aw, but Kiyone... I wanted to listen to Minaka..."  
Kiyone gave Mihoshi a stern glance. "You know what the manager said, 'One more tardy and you're both fired!'"  
Mihoshi sighed. "Oh, all right..." She turned to Minaka and smiled apologetically. "I really wish I could stay and talk with you, but Kiyone's right, and besides, we need the money for our apartment rent. So, I'll see ya later, okay? Bye now!"  
Mihoshi hurried after Kiyone, who had already left the house. That left Minaka, Sasami, and a curious Ryo-Ohki, who hopped up to Minaka's lap and sat, sniffing at her robes and peering at her suspiciously.  
"Don't worry, Ryo-Ohki, she's a friend! She won't hurt you!" Sasami grinned at Minaka. "Go ahead and give her a pet. She's nice and soft. She won't bite, I promise!"  
Cautiously, Minaka reached out her hand and gave Ryo-Ohki a scratch behind the ears. Ryo-Ohki was very pleased, and decided that she liked this Minaka person. She meowed and purred at Minaka, and eventually curled up in Minaka's lap, purring quietly and sleeping.  
"Aww... she is a cute little thing, isn't she?"  
Sasami nodded. "So... you never answered my question, Minaka."  
Minaka blinked. "Oh, yes... well... I don't know, really... I'd really like to have a little boy, though... girls are cute and sweet, but ever since I was a little girl, I always wanted a baby boy. I'd name him... well, I don't know what I'd name him... there's so many names to pick from..."  
Sasami's eyes misted over. "How about Mikumo? Or maybe Takeshi..."  
Minaka smiled. "You know, I'd never thought of those names... I like them..."  
"Really?" Sasami chirped.  
"Yeah... I'll tell you what... whatever the baby is, I'll let you pick the name. You seem very talented at picking names... you'll make a great mom some day, I bet."  
Sasami turned a bright shade of red. "You really think so?"  
Minaka nodded, and Sasami turned even redder. "Well... I love babies... they're so cute! But... there's something I've always wanted to see..."  
"What's that?" Minaka asked.  
"Well... I've never watched a baby get born. I've always wanted to see something like that... I've heard it's really gross, but I don't care... I think having a baby is the best miracle in the world..."  
Minaka smiled gently. "Well, maybe you could be around when I have my baby. I wouldn't mind it at all, really..."  
Sasami's eyes opened wide. "REALLY? You'd really let me stand by and watch when your baby gets born? Oh wow! That's be so neat!"  
Minaka grinned and laughed. Such a sweet little thing...   
And then the pain hit again. Swift, angry, it rushed Minaka's senses and left her writhing on the ground. Ryo-Ohki meowed in alarm and bounded off of Minaka's lap.   
"Oh, no, Minaka!" Sasami attempted to touch Minaka, who quickly shoved her aside.  
"NO, Sasami... uhh... stay back... uhhn... you'll get burned..."  
"Burned?" Sasami asked.   
Washuu burst into the room from her lab, panting. "Oh my God, Minaka!" She ran to where Minaka lay, and applied a small sticker-like object to her forehead. Instantly, Minaka's cries ceased, and she lay limp, exhausted from her exertion. Washuu picked her up, and carried her back to the sofa, where she rested the girl, and covered her with a blanket.  
"Miss Washuu, what happened to Minaka?" Sasami asked, her voice tinged with fear. Washuu knelt and hugged Sasami tightly.  
"It's okay now. Minaka's very sick, that's all. Now, be a good girl and go fetch some warm water and a face cloth, and stay with Minaka. She'll wake up eventually, don't you worry. I've got to go work some more. I'm trying to make Minaka feel better, but I need to work on it. I'll get her fixed up, don't worry, I'm good with things like that. Now go."  
Washuu gave Sasami a gentle push to the kitchen, and turned to walk back to her lab. She'd hated herself for having lied to Sasami, but it was better than telling her that her friend would eventually die. Washuu had just created the substance in the sticker as a sort of time condenser- that is, it would allow Minaka to live a bit longer, and would end her pain attacks for as long as she would be alive. The race for a cure, however, was just beginning, and was not turning out as well as Washuu would have liked. But she wouldn't give up, not until she had either found a cure, or Minaka had breathed her last.  
*****  
  
AUTHOR NOTES: Yes, folks, I've reposted this because the last version I posted was in desperate need of proofreading, re-saving, and general tweaking. And yes, if you can't stand generalized sappiness, I suggest you stop reading here, because it's only gonna get worse ;) If you did like it (and... maybe maybe, wanna see more of it? Hmm?) Please write to me at speck@capital.net and let me know how you felt. Or just R&R here. But please, no flaming, because more likely than not I'll choose to ignore that kind of talk. Creative criticism and comments, I will generally respond to in kind. :) 


	2. Of Mortals and Goddesses

All characters relating to Tenchi Muyo! and its multiverses, if not stated before, are (c) AIC/Pioneer. All other characters not relating to it (Minaka, Tetsuri, etc.) are strictly of my creation.  
  
Minaka Muyo! (No Need For Minaka!)  
By Speck  
  
Chapter 2: Of Mortals and Goddesses  
  
Four more months had passed since the onset of Minaka's last pain attack. Now, weighing quite a bit more than she did four months ago, Minaka lay on the sofa, her feet elevated, relieving the pressure in her lower abdomen. She'd known it was going to get harder for her to stay comfortable as she neared the end of her term, but she didn't think it was going to be that difficult.  
"So, how's our little mother-to-be doing today?" chirped a cheerful Washuu. Minaka groaned ruefully, and shoved herself into a sitting position.  
"Our little mother-to-be is feeling like a beached whale," she muttered. Washuu chuckled and patted Minaka's stomach gently.  
"Oh, you're doing fine. Just keep resting and don't overexert yourself."  
"Washuu... I know it's been a while, but... about the virus?"  
Washuu's features darkened. She'd hoped that Minaka wouldn't ask.  
"Well, um... not so good. Its in remission, your virus, but for how much longer I can say is pretty short lived. The cure is... well..." Washuu nervously rubbed the back of her neck.   
Minaka smiled sadly. "Thank you for trying, Miss Washuu. I really appreciate everything you've done for me, really..."  
Washuu turned, suddenly angry. "I'm not giving up! I'm going to get you cured if it's the last thing I ever do!!"  
Her sudden outburst frightened Minaka. Softening, she pulled Minaka close for a hug, and sighed.   
"I'm sorry... it just gets frustrating when I can't solve something right away. Your baby is depending on you to live, and you're depending on me to find a cure so you can stay living... in the end, your baby's depending on me, too... sometimes it feels like I carry the weight of the world on my shoulders..."  
Minaka let herself be held by Washuu, and she laughed quietly. "Be glad it's not the weight of a monster baby that you carry on your shoulders."  
Washuu laughed. "Yeah, you're probably right about that."   
She gave Minaka one last pat before rising from her spot on the floor. Minaka quickly leaned herself up.  
"Miss Washuu, wait."  
Washuu halted, and turned to look back. "Yeah hon? What is it?"  
Minaka paused, an embarrassed look crossing her face. "Um... Aeka told me, when I first got here, that Tenchi is the grandson of Prince Yosho... that's true, isn't it?"  
Washuu nodded. "Yup, he sure is. Why do you ask?"  
"Well... I kind of figured... that if he's Prince Yosho's grandson, he's partly Juraian... has he ever displayed Juraian qualities?"  
"Has he? HA! 'Course he has... countless times... he's pretty hot stuff, y'know."  
"Oh... I was just wondering... is he very strong?"  
"Oh yeah... considering he's only a quarter Juraian, he's really strong, compared to that of an average Juraian... why..."  
Washuu paused. Minaka's eyes seemed to burn with an intensity she had not witnessed in her young friend before. Then she realized... Minaka was a warrior.  
"No way... you shouldn't challenge Lord Tenchi, not in your condition... you'd get yourself hurt! When I say Tenchi isn't your average earthling, I mean it!"  
"I know... but I have to find out... I want to challenge him... just to see how strong he really is... I can handle myself, really I can... I'll be okay... but I want to see how strong he is."  
Washuu threw up her hands. "Alright... I know I can't change yer mind... or any warrior's mind, once its set. Just... be careful. If he lets into you too hard, tell him to stop... he's tough, but he's not without compassion... he'll let up."  
Minaka shook her head. "That won't be necessary. I want to find out how strong he is... if I asked him to let up, I'd probably never find out."  
Grunting, Minaka got off of the sofa, and padded quietly into Washuu's lab. She pulled out a satchel from the corner where her bed was located, and dug around inside. Finally, she found what she was seeking, an energy sword, much like that of Tenchi's, minus the shimmering gems in its hilt. Clasping it firmly, she exited Washuu's lab.  
"Where would he be right now?"  
Washuu looked at a clock on the wall. "Hmm... he's probably training in the forest with his grandfather. Oh, and by the way, call him Katsuhito... he prefers that name, anyways..."  
Minaka grinned. "Right... maybe I'll watch Tenchi train a little before I challenge him."  
And with that, she left, heading to the grove where Tenchi trained. Washuu remained behind, a bleak look on her face. She really hadn't been kidding when she said Tenchi was tough...  
"Be careful, Minaka..."  
"Hmm? Washuu, what are you talking about?"  
Startled by the voice, Washuu turned. In the doorway stood Aeka, a dust broom in hand.   
"Oh... nothing really..."  
But Aeka couldn't be fooled. "Minaka left with a sword in her hand, I could see it. What is going on, Miss Washuu?"  
A curious Sasami poked her head in. "What's going on?"  
"Augh... looks like I'm going to have to 'fess up..." Washuu grumbled. Reluctantly, she told the two of Minaka's plans.  
"WHAT?! No, she mustn't! Lord Tenchi, his power... who knows what could happen? Oh, Miss Washuu, how could you let this happen?"  
"She's a warrior, Aeka. I could have locked her away in my lab, but she would have found a way out. Once a warrior's blood is stirred, nothing can stop them, not even the strongest prison chamber. I could have told her a million times not to do it, and she'd still go out and challenge him. It's in her blood. She lives for just one more battle, one more chance to prove herself. Right now, in her condition, she feels weak and useless. She believes that if she challenges Tenchi to a swordfight, it'll prove that she's strong, and can do things on her own. She's having a hard time doing the simplest of maneuvers, she can't even bend over to pick things up off the floor anymore. Wouldn't that make you feel useless, too?"  
"Hmm.. I suppose so... oh, but I hope she doesn't get herself hurt..."  
"Well, that's one thing I'm not gonna let happen. I may let her go off to satisfy her blood wrath, but I'm most certainly not gonna let her get hurt. C'mon... we can hide in the bushes where Tenchi trains. If it starts to look bad, we'll go out and break it up, okay?"  
This seemed to calm Aeka's fears. "Oh, alright... I suppose it's okay to let Minaka fight against Lord Tenchi... I just hope she doesn't get too hurt."  
Quickly, the threesome left the house, and ran off after Minaka.  
*****  
Panting, Minaka trudged along a wooded path. She knew of the grove where Tenchi trained, but had no idea it was so far off. Wondering just how much farther it was to the grove, Minaka was suddenly rewarded with the sounds of bamboo sword hitting targets. Quietly, she peered through a brush...  
It was a marvelous sight. Lord Katsuhito, perched upon a rock, watched sternly as Tenchi leapt and soared through the air, his bamboo sword striking out and hitting a target, affixed to a tree by a rope. The target swung about, sometimes near to Tenchi, sometimes far away, but he managed to strike it every time it swung out. Maybe Washuu was right... maybe he was too powerful...  
Minaka's grip on the sword hilt tightened. No... she couldn't be afraid, not now... she had to challenge him... her talents with swordsmanship were excellent... she could beat him, if she applied herself...  
She stepped into the clearing. Tenchi, startled, dropped his sword.  
"Minaka? What the- OW!"  
The target, still swinging about crazily, had swung back, and struck Tenchi in the back of the head. Lord Katsuhito laughed.  
"Ah, Tenchi, you still have much to learn. Do not let anything distract you, no matter how noisy, or pretty..."  
Minaka grinned. "Flattery will get you nowhere, old man."  
Katsuhito laughed. "Yes, I see that... hmm... impressive... you own a sword of the lighthawk. I take it you are here to challenge Tenchi?"  
Minaka nodded her head. "Yes..."  
Tenchi looked alarmed. But... but Minaka... I can't fight you, I mean-..."  
Katsuhito silenced him with a glance. "Tenchi... you know that no matter who the opponent, male or female, handicapped or not, you must accept a challenge. Minaka is a warrior, born and bred, I can see it in her eyes. She will not back down, even if you choose to dismiss her challenge."  
Tenchi looked helplessly back at Minaka. "Are you sure you want to fight? I mean..."  
Minaka simply stared at him, her eyes unclouded, her mind clear, her voice true. "I wish to challenge you, Tenchi. I may be female, and I may be hampered, but I will take all that you give me. Please, I beg of you, accept my challenge, and hold nothing back."  
Tenchi nodded. "Alright... I accept your challenge." Reaching down, he dislodged his real sword, the sword Tenchiken, from its sling on his belt, and activated it. A shimmering blade of energy manifested itself, and hummed with power.  
"Good... this is what I wanted to see." Holding her own sword in front of her, Minaka activated its powers, and held her ground but for a moment. "Hold nothing back!"  
And she disappeared. Tenchi whirled around. "She's fast!"  
Katsuhito merely watched the proceedings. This girl was brave, and he could sense her power, but he could also sense a weak link in her chain. If she wasn't careful, Tenchi would find that weak spot, and strike. She was a seasoned warrior, but she was capable of mistakes, just as any warrior is often predisposed to.  
Tenchi was mystified. Where had Minaka gotten off to? Then he realized what she was doing. She was testing his mental reflexes... he had to sense where she would be when she would strike. Standing still, he closed his eyes and concentrated... he had to find her before she struck...  
THERE!  
With all speed, Tenchi wielded his sword and turned. Minaka's sword clashed with his in a terrific burst of light.  
"Ha! Not bad... you are good! Try this!" Quickly wrenching down, Minaka thrust her sword and slashed.   
Shards of Tenchi's pant leg fluttered to the ground.  
"W-whoa! N-now, now, hold on, Minaka, I- YIPE!" Tenchi had barely the time to recover his wits when Minaka struck again, this time sweeping over his head and slashing down to shred Tenchi's other pant leg. She wasn't kidding at all.  
Composing himself, Tenchi focused his mind. He couldn't let her beat him... she had asked him to give it his all, hadn't she? Quickly maneuvering, he countered Minaka's slashes and undercuts with his own moves. She had essentially no holes in her defense, and was doing a good job of keeping it that way... when he noticed it. Of all the places she wasn't defending...  
"Oh God... he saw it too..."  
Washuu, perched on her haunches, looked out from the surrounding underbrush, Aeka and Sasami behind her. Aeka struggled to gain a better view.  
"Saw what? Miss Washuu, what's going on out there?"  
Washuu turned, quietly letting the branches of the shrubs snap back into place. "Well, Minaka's doing pretty well, and Tenchi's actually getting a workout. She's more of a fighter than I expected... but there's one weakness in her defense. She isn't protecting her midsection... where the baby is."  
Aeka gasped. "She's going to get herself killed!"  
"Well, if Lord Tenchi doesn't do anything, she'll be fine. But she did tell him to give it his all... she's leaving the weak spot in her defense to test him. If she realizes that he knows of the opening and isn't doing anything about it, she might get violent. I don't know... she seems awfully determined to prove her worth. If she doesn't get hurt, Lord Tenchi will."  
A loud clang brought Washuu and Aeka to attention.   
Minaka and Tenchi stood, their swords crossed, Minaka panting, as well as Tenchi.  
"Why won't you strike?"  
Tenchi gulped. "But Minaka... you..."  
Minaka growled loudly and swung her sword in a vicious arc. It clanged as it roughly hit the ground, earth spraying in all directions. She glared angrily at Tenchi.  
"I thought I told you to give it all you've got. Are you afraid of hurting me? Don't be. I don't care if I do get hurt... damn it, fight!"  
With an agility born of anger, Minaka hopped back a few steps, brought her sword up to her face, pointed it straight, and charged.  
/This girl is going through great mental pain/... the thought flashed in Katsuhito's mind. /Something must be bothering her greatly to cause her to charge so blindly into battle.../  
Tenchi swung out desperately. Either Minaka had been taking battle lessons from Ryoko, or she was really crazy. No matter how fast he countered her slashes, she only came at him faster, until her sword moved in a dizzying spectacle of undercuts, uppercuts, thrusts, and slashes. Finally, he saw what she was trying to do. She was purposely leaving a hole in her defense at her midsection... she got angry at him when he'd tried to avoid striking her there... she /wanted/ him to strike her there.   
Finally, he could take the strain no longer. Her lighting fast moves had finally agitated him enough... yelling at the top of his lungs, Tenchi swung out...  
The blade disappeared, and Tenchi's fist, still clenching Tenchiken, hit Minaka squarely in the ribcage. She gave a cough, blood spattering to the ground, and curled over upon herself, finally falling to the ground.  
"Oh... oh my God, Minaka!" Tenchi kneeled down, and shook the girl gently. She was out cold.  
Washuu leapt out the brush into the clearing, roughly shoving Tenchi aside. She gathered Minaka up in her arms, and examined her.  
"Hmm... KO'D, but she's alright. She'll wake up shortly."  
Tenchi sat on his backside, befuddled. "Washuu... you were hiding in the brush all that time? But why... why didn't you do anything?"  
"I think you did what I would have done if the situation turned bad anyway, Tenchi... you did a good job... she's a pretty tough fighter. Don't worry about hitting her like that... she was acting irrationally... if you hadn't knocked her out, she might still be letting into you right now."  
Tenchi nodded his head. "I know... but still, I feel so guilty about all of it... she was really determined to win..."  
A gentle cough brought them to attention. Minaka's eyes fluttered open, to rest upon Tenchi. She gave a gentle smile, and reached out to touch his hand.  
"You... truly are a magnificent fighter... thank you for showing me how much power you possess... I'm sorry I pushed you so hard, but I had to find out..."  
A flicker of light glinted on Minaka's forehead. She cried out loudly in pain, and began to convulse wretchedly on the ground.  
"Oh God," Washuu breathed. "The patch just failed."  
"What? What patch?..." Tenchi asked.  
Ignoring him, Washuu grabbed Minaka in a restraint hold and held her tightly. Her body was immensely hot, but regardless, Washuu held her close to keep her from flailing about.   
"Everybody, back to the house. Minaka's in danger."  
"But... what danger? Miss Washuu, what's going on?"  
"I'll explain later. It's a long story anyway, but..."  
A loud cry from Minaka signaled them all that something was gravely wrong.  
"Is she having her baby?" Sasami asked as they dashed headlong back to the house through the forest.  
"No... it's not as simple as that, Sasami... I wish it was... Minaka's dying."  
"WHAT?!"  
Washuu whirled upon the straggling group angrily. "I don't have time to explain! I'll tell you all later but right now I have to stabilize her system or she'll die right now! Now COME ON!"  
Sensing that she was close enough to teleport herself back to her lab, she did so, her spectral energy flashing about her as she disappeared before the others' eyes. In shock, the group followed Washuu numbly back to the house.  
Rushing Minaka into her lab and immediately hooking her up to sensors, Washuu found what she'd feared the most. The patch, although a quick pain fix, had been unable to completely isolate the virus. It had spread rapidly, and now was in it's final throes. Minaka would die by that night. And, consequently, Washuu realized that she had failed. She had promised this girl that she would find a cure...  
NO! No... I won't give up. Not yet...  
Setting up her keyboard and data, Washuu began to type away more furiously than she had ever typed in her life. The explanation to the others would have to wait. This girl's life was much more important.  
*****  
Hours passed. Washuu's head lowered dejectedly. All testing came up negative. A weak cough from the corner woke Washuu from her disillusioned stupor, and led her to the corner of the room.   
Minaka's form was much paler than it had been earlier that day. She lay, weak and limp, like a rag doll. Her eyes, usually so bright and filled with energy, looked blankly at Washuu, and pierced her soul.  
"I'm sorry Minaka. I tried... I truly did... now I know I don't deserve to be called the most brilliant mind in the universe."  
Minaka simply stared at Washuu, past her, as if Washuu were transparent. Finally, she spoke.  
"I know you tried... Thank you for doing all those wonderful things for me... but... I thank you mostly... for the time you gave me... I got to live, I got to live as I never had. Sasami taught me how to cook... I won Ryoko over... I got to ... see... the rise of a truly strong warrior..."  
She coughed, even more weak this time. Washuu clasped Minaka's tiny hand, and held it to her face.  
"Miss Washuu... there is one more thing... before I die... I want to see Funaho again."  
Washuu blinked. "Are you sure you could make it?"  
Minaka grinned softly. "I can try."  
Nodding, Washuu lifted Minaka into her arms, and teleported out of her lab. Seconds later, she appeared at the edge of Funaho Pond, and rested Minaka down. Neku-oh sat, as regal as ever, next to the beautiful Funaho. Minaka placed her eyes on the tree, and smiled.  
"Thank you Washuu..."  
Washuu nodded. "Don't worry... you just rest now, okay Minaka?... Minaka?"  
Washuu looked down. Minaka's eyes no longer held the shine of life. They were now empty, devoid of life and spirit. Minaka had died.  
"Oh no..." Washuu held Minaka's body, cradling it in her arms. "Minaka, please, don't go yet... Sasami..."  
Washuu felt a hot lump rise in her throat. "Oh my God... Sasami... what am I going to tell her?..."  
And then, Washuu did something she hadn't done in eons.  
Holding Minaka's body, she screamed, one long, mournful wail, into the night sky. Sobbing, she rocked Minaka's body in her arms, feeling the warmth of her life drain away.  
"Minaka... Minaka... oh God, please no, not this girl... she's just barely begun to live... why not me, huh?... Oh, Minaka..."  
It had been like this only one other time, one other time that Washuu could remember... a strange girl named Hiwa had come on an unexpected visit to Tenchi, only to reveal herself as being a sort of spirit... her real body was in a hospital in Osaka, dying of severe damage in a car accident. Washuu had pressed herself to save this girl, only to have all her attempts fail, sometimes downright miserably. It burned her, having to tell Tenchi and the others- especially little Sasami- that Hiwa was going to die, and that there was nothing that she could do, nothing that she could have done, because she had done all she could. Only then did Tenchi remember Tsunami-  
TSUNAMI! That was it! If anyone or anything could save Minaka, it was Tsunami! Sure, she'd have to tell Sasami and Tenchi and the others what had happened, and it would hurt, but then Sasami would be able to activate Tsunami's spirit, and everything would be okay! She just had to leave Minaka here, and-  
Suddenly, Funaho began to glow. An eerie light set the entire lake aglow, casting its pale light over Washuu and Minaka. Curiously, Washuu looked up...  
A beautiful woman floated at the center of the lake. She looked upon Washuu, and smiled gently.  
"Oh... Tsu... Tsunami..." Washuu breathed.  
*****  
Sasami wandered into the middle of the living room, having suddenly abandoned her cooking in the kitchen. She seemed in a trance, and Ryo-Ohki, perched upon her head, seemed just as unaware as Sasami did. Curious, Tenchi called to her.  
"Sasami? Sasami, where are you going? Ryo-Ohki?..."   
Heedless, Sasami walked to the door. Pausing momentarily, she turned to Tenchi and spoke in a quiet, monotone voice.  
"Tenchi-san, get the others. I must get to Funaho Pond... something is happening..."  
With that, she slowly turned back to the door, and padded out quietly.  
*****  
Tsunami smiled at Washuu. "Yes... how are you, older sister?..."  
Washuu blinked. "What... are you talking about?... Older sister?..." She shook her head. "No, you must be joking... Tsunami, please, you have to save this girl. She's good, pure and strong, she can't die now, she can't-..."  
Tsunami placed a finger to her lips, hushing Washuu. She slowly shook her head, and remained still, instead of tending to Minaka.  
"I can't..."  
Washuu blinked again. "What do you mean you can't? Of course you can, you are an omniscient being! She's a good girl, I swear..."  
Tsunami merely closed her eyes, and shook her head again. "I am sorry, but I cannot save this girl."  
Fury took hold in Washuu's eyes. "Yes, yes you can... you just won't... Minaka's a good girl, she doesn't deserve to die... and she's having a baby! Why won't you save her?!"  
Tsunami only regarded Washuu with silence. Finally, she spoke.  
"I cannot save her, for there is someone here who can, who will have more meaning in saving her than I ever will. You really don't remember anything, do you?"  
Washuu sat quietly, holding Minaka less tightly. "Remember?... What should I remember?..."  
Tsunami moved. She floated across the surface of the pond, and hovered next to Washuu. Placing her transparent hands around Washuu's face, she leaned close, until her forehead touched with Washuu's.  
A blinding light flashed directly into Washuu's eyes. For what seemed like an eternity, lasting only a few minutes, hundreds of images blinked and flashed in Washuu's memory.  
She remembered.  
Three red, rounded gems appeared, flying in from all directions. Faintly, Washuu's mortal brain recalled that Ryoko had one such gem embedded on her wrist.  
*****  
"AAGH!"  
Ryoko clamped her right hand down on what remained of a bloodied stump of a left hand. A red flash of light, accompanied by yet another small explosion and two other points of red light, took off into the night sky.  
"Ryoko! Ryoko, what happened?" Tenchi ran into the clearing where Ryoko sat holding her wrist, holding Tenchiken in his hand. Its base, usually fitted with two red gems, was now gem-less.  
"Looks like the same thing happened to you, only you didn't lose a hand," she grumbled, looking in the direction of the departing points of light. "Just what the hell do you suppose is going on, anyway?"  
Tenchi shook his head. "I don't know, but it just keeps getting stranger and stranger. Sasami is acting weird, Washuu ran off, and now we've both lost our gems."  
Tenchi looked at the night sky, sighing quietly. "Just what is going on?..."   
*****  
The three gems circled Washuu's body, and formed themselves into a triangle formation just over her forehead. Another blinding flash of light, and Washuu was acutely aware of a throbbing pain in her forehead. It didn't seem so bad, though...   
She knew what she was now. She knew what she had been, and what she was now, what powers she possessed...  
"Younger sister... I thank you for enlightening me..."  
Tsunami nodded, smiling, and beckoned Washuu to the middle of Funaho Pond. Obliging, Washuu floated spectrally to the center of the pond, and joined her sister.  
Tenchi and the others arrived at the pond. Sasami stood, tears trickling from her eyes. She turned to the group, and looked sorrowfully upon them.  
Tenchi gasped. "Tsunami? And... Washuu?..."   
Sasami nodded. "Tsunami-sama and Washuu-sama..."  
This threw the group completely off guard. "Washuu-sama?!"  
Washuu was faintly aware of the groups' presence, but could not speak to them. Instead, she did what she had remembered to do. The little mortal girl, Minaka...  
Quietly, Washuu floated back to the dead girl. Looking down upon her body, she smiled. Leaning close, she placed her hands on Minaka's face, and touched foreheads with the girl. The three gems on Washuu's forehead glowed, brighter and brighter, until even the others at the edge of the pond could not see. Shielding his eyes, Tenchi chanced a look...  
Washuu's body floated into the air, her form carrying with her that of a naked Minaka. He could see hundreds of dark marks covering Minaka's exposed features. The dark marks began to glow, more brightly than the light that surrounded the goddess and her charge, and faded. Suddenly, two large white wings appeared, angel wings that enveloped Minaka's body. Washuu's eyes snapped open, the usual glitter replaced by a dull sheen. Smiling, she gestured with a hand down to the edge of the lake. Minaka's body, still enfolded in wings, floated down to the area where the goddess pointed, and made contact with the ground. As soon as wings touched earth, they phased out, and phased into clothing. Minaka began breathing again, but remained unconscious.  
Washuu returned to Tsunami, who smiled at her gently.  
Tenchi, still utterly confused, ran to the edge of the pond, and shouted to Tsunami.  
"Tsunami-sama! What is this all about?"  
Tsunami turned her attention from her sister to Tenchi, and smiled warmly at him.  
"Do not be alarmed, Tenchi. Washuu is indeed a goddess, you are not being fooled. She didn't remember her past, and wished to grant Minaka life again. Yes, I could have saved Minaka, but Minaka means more to Washuu than to anybody else. I would have saved her if I had known Washuu was a simple mortal, but you see, I know her deeper than that. I am a goddess of the light, and my elder sister, Lady Tokimi, is a goddess of the dark. But Washuu is a goddess of both the dark and the light. She possesses a power that is greater than either I or Lady Tokimi's, and that is why I did not save Minaka. I knew that she is capable of doing much more than I could have. Now, her job is done."  
Tenchi merely stood, trying to absorb all this information. "So... now what? Will Washuu-chan remain a goddess with you?"  
Tsunami chuckled softly. "Oh, no. I could not be that cruel to her. She loves all of you more than anything in her life. Would it be fair to her to have her remain a goddess, never being able to live normally with all of you? No, it wouldn't."  
"So... what will happen?"  
Tsunami put a finger to her lips, and thought. "I... do not know... I make all these assumptions, and yet I do not even ask my own sister if she agrees. How rude of me."   
Quietly, Tsunami turned to Washuu, and looked her directly in the eyes. "Which do you prefer, my sister? Remaining a goddess, or returning to your mortal ways, to remain in the Masaki household as you were, a scientist living under the stairs?"  
Washuu seemed to think this over. She looked from Tsunami, to Tenchi and the gang... Minaka... and then back to Tsunami. She smiled...  
"Actually, Tsunami, I'll have you know that I don't live under the stairs, I set up my lab in a hyper dimension. The warp point is under the stairs, but my lab is in another dimension. Even a goddess like yerself should know that one!"  
Everyone, including Tsunami, face-faulted.  
"Yep, that's our Washuu. Goddess and yet still the charming little scientist we all know and love," Tenchi groaned. Washuu winked at Tenchi. "I heard that. Being omniscient does that to your senses. How would you like me to get that sample again, honey?"  
Tenchi spluttered. "I, uh... oh boy..."  
Tsunami grinned and touched Washuu on the shoulder. "Just as I would have predicted. I know you are happier being mortal than you would ever be as a goddess. So..."  
A blinding light enveloped the pair. Three red points of light appeared, even brighter than the energy of the goddesses, and shot out into the night. Two of them embedded themselves into Tenchiken, while one shot towards Ryoko. She caught it in a fist, and absorbed the gem. She finally grew back her left hand, and the gem appeared in its rightful place on her left wrist. The light phased out, and Washuu remained in the center of it, although Tsunami phased out completely, leaving Washuu hanging in midair. A large clap of energy, much like a thunder crash, broke the calm of the night. Washuu's lax form snapped at this sound, and began to fall from its position in midair. She landed with a 'plash' in the center of the pond.  
Sasami collapsed, exhausted after having controlled Tsunami's essence for so long. Tenchi leapt into the pond, and swam out to where Washuu had fallen. He hooked his arm around her waist and began to pull her back to shore, a difficult task as her long, red hair almost swamped Tenchi in his heroic task. Finally, he dragged her out onto shore, and rested her next to the fallen Sasami.  
Meanwhile, Aeka had gone to where Minaka lay. She took Minaka's pulse, and Minaka awoke with a start.   
"Oh... oh my... what happened? I..." Minaka muttered, shaking her head to clear it. Blinking, she looked about at the astonished group, and then realized...  
"I was dead! I died... and... but what happened? Why am I alive?..." Curiously, Minaka felt around her body, and pulled back her sleeve. There were no more burn marks, and all pain had left her.  
"I'm okay... but... who... oh, Miss Washuu!!" With an unexpected agility for her size, Minaka leapt to her feet and rushed to Washuu, who remained unconscious. She shook her gently, calling her name softly.  
"Miss Washuu? Washuu-chan? Please wake up... wake up now!" Frustrated with her friend's silence, she gave Washuu a gentle slap to the face. This woke the KO'D red head instantly.  
"Oww... oh, I have such a headache..." Blinking, she looked about, and saw a teary-eyed Minaka kneeling before her.  
"Minaka?... You're ALIVE! Oh... Tsunami did save you! Oh, Minaka..." Exhibiting a peculiar show of emotion, Washuu latched onto Minaka's waist and cried happily.  
Tenchi sat, mouth agape. "But Washuu-chan... Tsunami didn't-.."  
A gentle tug on his shirtsleeve alerted Tenchi to the fact that Sasami had awakened. She smiled up at him, and shook her head. In Tsunami's voice, she whispered, "No. It was necessary to wipe all the memories of Washuu's actions from her mind in order for her to function normally. If she knew she was a goddess, she would not be as you know her. It's better for her to not know of her past life. What she knows of her mortal life is much more important to her, anyway."  
Tenchi nodded. "I see..."  
Washuu finally disengaged herself from Minaka, stood, and brushed herself off. "Why am I wet? Goodness, I must have fallen asleep and fallen in the pond or something... oh well, unexplained phenomena, happens all the time. So, who's up for a little nighttime snack, eh? I'm starved..."  
Completely disregarding the fact that the entire group had coalesced on the pond, Washuu skipped happily back to the Masaki residence, Minaka in tow. One by one, Tenchi hitching Sasami on his back (much to the disappointment of Aeka and Ryoko), the gang followed her back to the house, leaving the pond, and the mysterious Funaho.  
*****  
Five days had passed since Minaka's recovery. Washuu remained as she always was, a busybody of a scientist, always pestering Tenchi when she had an open moment to get that "one last sample", and she never recalled her past actions. Kiyone and Mihoshi were as they were, and still thankfully had their jobs at Burger Hut, even after several slight mishaps from Mihoshi. Aeka and Ryoko fought, as usual, over Tenchi, and Sasami remained her bright, sunny self, cooking and cleaning, while Ryo-Ohki perched upon her head and waited for Sasami to hopefully drop a carrot on the floor.  
It couldn't be any more normal.  
*****  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Okay, just a note. I'm pretty in tune to the whole Tenchi universe ("pretty" meaning most, not all, OAV, TV, and perhaps even Shin), but I sorta shlepped the whole "Washuu-goddess" thing together from several sources on the 'Net. Don't quote me on any of the statements made, even I don't know the validity of it all, but... I thought it came out pretty okiday. At least, that's to my way of thinking... and I know, "sending a pregnant woman into a fight? Are you nuts?!" Well, it takes a degree of nuttiness, yes. ;) It gets a bit sappy next chapter, but that's the way I operate. It'll get more intriguing (and even nuttier) later on, I promise. ;) 


	3. Hello Baby! (again?)

All characters relating to Tenchi Muyo © AIC/Pioneer. All others are strictly my brain material...  
  
No Need for Minaka!  
By Speck  
  
Chapter 3: Hello Baby (again?)  
  
*****  
  
"Everybody, dinnertime!"  
  
Sasami rang a small triangle, alerting the household that mealtime had arrived. Ryoko was, as usual, the first one there, phasing in from out of nowhere to her usual spot. Mihoshi was a close second, however, immediately grabbing a bowl of rice and serving herself. The others arrived at their own pace, including Washuu, who arrived several minutes later, leading Minaka from her lab. Washuu looked bright and cheery enough, especially due to the fact that she had invented several new machines, ready for testing. Minaka, however, was another story. She toddled quietly behind Washuu, moving slowly and breathing hard, her hair limp and her face paler than normal. She seated herself next to Washuu, and sat, staring at her plate. She scooped a little rice onto it, and a little bit of shrimp tempura, but didn't eat. Instead, she poked at it with a chopstick, and finally just stared at her food as it cooled.  
  
Washuu paused, her chopsticks hovering in midair. She placed them on her plate and gently touched Minaka's hand. Minaka started at this contact, and looked up apologetically.  
  
"I'm sorry... I'm really not hungry right now. I don't feel so good."  
  
Sasami looked up, a worried expression on her face. "Aw, poor Minaka."  
  
"Hmm... yes, poor Minaka," Ryoko said softly. "Hey, d'you mind if I ate that?"  
  
Minaka merely shook her head, and pushed her plate in Ryoko's direction. "No, you can have it. I think I should go lie down for a while or something... I really don't feel well."  
  
Ryoko happily munched on the rejected food, while the rest of the gang watched as Minaka struggled to get up from her seat. She seemed to grow weaker, and seemed to not have the strength to accomplish even this task.  
  
Sasami abandoned her plate and rushed to Minaka. She helped Minaka up, and let her lean on her tiny frame for support.  
  
"I'll be right back. I'll help Minaka to go lie down. Is the futon okay, Minaka?"  
  
Minaka merely nodded her head. "Yes, anything... but I really don't feel well..."  
  
Sasami nodded. "I know... come on now, lets go..."  
  
The two padded out of the dining room. Washuu had abandoned her food, worried for Minaka, when a loud shout confirmed her fears.  
  
Sasami ran back into the dining room. "Oh no, I think Minaka's having her baby now!"  
  
Quickly Washuu leapt up from the table and ran into the living room. Sasami had barely unrolled the spare futon on the floor, while Minaka sat, supported by the sofa, moaning miserably and twitching. A small pool of blood formed where Minaka kneeled, and she cried softly, clutching her stomach and grunting in exertion.   
  
"Ow... oh God it hurts... oh God... please help me, it hurts so bad..."  
  
Washuu knelt next to Minaka and allowed her to lean into her lap. Minaka curled up, crying quietly into her lap, reaching for her hand. Washuu grasped her hand firmly and squeezed.  
  
"When did it start, Minaka, can you tell me?"  
  
Minaka moaned, gritting her teeth together tightly. "Earlier today... but it didn't hurt so badly... I didn't think it was too bad... and then just now, it started getting worse... but I kept hoping it would go away... please, I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but I was so afraid..."  
  
Washuu nodded. "It'll be all right now, Minaka, we're here. Don't you fret." She turned to Sasami, and the rest of the group, who stood in the doorway.  
  
"Sasami, please roll up that futon. I can't allow her to have her baby in the middle of the living room floor. I could use my lab, but I think Minaka'd be a little more comfortable in someplace less sterile than that. Is there a spare room in the house we can use?"  
  
"You can use my room, Miss Washuu. I wouldn't mind in the slightest," Tenchi volunteered.  
  
Washuu nodded. "Thank you, Tenchi. Now, Minaka, hold on, I'm going to carry you upstairs. If the way I hold you hurts too much, let me know, okay? Now, one, two, three!"  
  
On "three", Washuu launched Minaka into her arms. Minaka cried out sharply, then relaxed.  
  
"Are you okay there, kiddo?"  
  
"Yes, Miss Washuu, I'm fine," was the quiet response.  
  
"Okay. Now, Sasami, follow me upstairs. Tenchi, Aeka, go boil some water and get some cloths and newspapers. Got it? Now go!"  
  
Tenchi and Aeka hurried to their tasks, while Washuu carried Minaka up the stairs to Tenchi's room. With her foot, Washuu slid the door open, and motioned for Sasami to go inside and set up the futon.  
  
"Well, I know it's not the nicest hospital room of Jurai or anything, but this'll have to do, okay Minaka?"  
  
Minaka nodded and smiled. "Oh no, it's fine, really... I like the ambience. So quiet and cheerful, much better than a Juraian hospital ward."  
  
Washuu chuckled and rested Minaka down on the futon, covering her up with a thick quilt. She patted Minaka's stomach and smiled.   
  
"Now, I gotta go to my lab and get a few tools of the trade, okay sweetheart? I'll be right back."  
  
Heading out of the room, she paused at the doorway. Sasami stood, tears trickling down her face. Washuu knelt to her level and placed a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"What's the matter, Sasami-chan?"  
  
The small girl snuffled, and coughed. "I'm scared for Minaka... she's hurting so much..."  
  
Washuu nodded and held her close. "I know... I know what it feels like, trust me... not pretty. But y'know what? I'll bet that she's just as scared about all this as you are. I'm trying to be calm to comfort her, but in the end, she's feeling pretty alone there, all scared and hurting... she needs someone just as scared as she is to be with her right now. So, why don't you go in there and be with her while I go get my tools, hmm? You can talk to her, and let her know how you feel, and I bet that'll make her feel less scared, what do you think?"  
  
Sasami's eyes shone gratefully, and she hugged Washuu tightly. "I'll do my best, Washuu-chan!"  
  
Sasami gently padded into the room and sat on the floor next to Minaka's futon. She brushed Minaka's bangs from her forehead and smiled sympathetically down at her.   
  
"It... it doesn't hurt anymore, Sasami... I'm okay... it comes in waves, though..."  
  
Sasami nodded. "Well, that's the way it's supposed to happen. The waves are helping your baby to get born."  
  
Minaka grinned. "My, but you know an awful lot about having babies. Are you sure you aren't a doctor or something?"  
  
Sasami giggled. "No... Earth programming has a lot of interesting shows on about stuff like this... I like watching those shows. It's the closest I've come to actually seeing a baby get born."  
  
"Well, hang around for a bit longer. You'll get to see it live if you do."  
  
Eyes brightly shining, Sasami leaned over Minaka and threw her arms around Minaka's neck, smiling. "I can't wait!"  
  
Pain. Sudden, overpowering pain rushed Minaka, throwing her into its realm, tearing at her and ripping her apart. She screamed loudly, despite Sasami's attempts to comfort her, and thrashed, twisting and convulsing as she tried to deal with the pain.  
  
"Oh my God... Oh my God... oh God this hurts... oh God... Washuu... oh please hurry, I can't hold this any longer..."  
  
Sasami realized what this meant. A dark pool of blood soaked its way into the quilt, and suddenly, Minaka grew very quiet. She strained, and groaned loudly.  
  
"Oh, no Minaka!" Sasami exclaimed. "Don't push! Not yet! Washuu'll be back soon!"   
  
"I.. I can't hold it any longer, Sasami... I can feel it... the baby... oh my God... uhhh... I can feel it moving... this is going way too fast..."  
  
Washuu broke into the room, followed by Tenchi, who carried a basin of hot water, and Aeka, who carried the towels and newspapers. Indicating to the floor with a hand, Washuu instructed the awestruck pair as to where to put their supplies. They dropped the basin, towels, and newspaper to the floor, and abandoned the room quickly, while Washuu shut the door behind them.  
  
"Okay... well now, it looks like the show almost started without me!" Humming happily, not phased in the slightest, Washuu snapped a pair of latex gloves on her hands, and gently peeled the quilt up from Minaka's raised legs. She grabbed a towel, and draped it over Minaka's lower extremities, pausing to examine her.  
  
"Ahh, a bit ahead of schedule, but that can be worked with! Sasami, take this!"  
  
Washuu tossed a facecloth and a canteen of cold water to Sasami. "Just swab at her forehead and wipe away her tears. This is gonna get pretty painful for her. Just stay with her and talk to her quietly, okay? I'll get to work right now!"  
  
Sasami levered Minaka's head into her lap, and began swabbing at her forehead as Washuu readied to deliver her baby. Having applied a sensor to Minaka's belly, Washuu could tell when her next pain would begin.  
  
"Okay, sweetheart, get ready now... when you feel the pain start to well up pretty good, give it a good shove, okay? Here we go..."  
  
Minaka shifted uncomfortably, and began to moan. Her eyes snapped open with the onset of the pain, and she began to push, as Washuu had instructed. Quietly, Washuu counted off the seconds, while Sasami held Minaka down by the shoulders and comforted her.  
  
"Okay, now, Minaka, just rest... good, you're doing fine..."  
  
"I'm so scared... please, it hurts, I'm scared..."  
  
"Don't worry, Minaka," Sasami whispered. "It'll all be over soon."  
  
A small beep sounded from the sensor, and Minaka began to shift.  
  
"Ready, Minaka?... Now."  
  
Another round left Minaka crying loudly in pain. Something was wrong.  
  
"Ow, oh my God... I feel like I'm being ripped in half... ow, why won't it stop?" she groaned.  
  
Washuu examined her again. "Oh God... Minaka... any time in the course of your pregnancy, did you ever feel the baby move a lot more than normal?"  
  
Minaka shook her head. "No... why?"  
  
"Oh man... this is gonna get tough. Minaka, your baby is in what's known as a breech position. You never felt it move around a lot during the last few weeks, meaning your baby never moved itself into a proper position for birth. It's gonna get difficult for you to push, because the baby's not in the right position, so if you feel it stop moving, let me know, okay?"  
  
"Wait... wait, Miss Washuu... if it's not in the 'right position', which position is it in?"  
  
Washuu paused. "It's gonna be born feet first. It'll be precarious, too... because or the danger of the baby suffocating, we have to be careful. I'll let you know how hard to go at it, okay?"  
  
Another beep sounded from the machine.  
  
"No, no, I'm not ready yet... please no, not so soon..."  
  
Sasami fearfully gripped Minaka's shoulders.   
  
"Okay, Minaka, let 'er rip!"  
  
Minaka screamed as she pushed. She felt as if she were being burned from the inside out. A strange feeling left her squirming in shock.  
  
"Ah, okay, we got the feet now! Take it easy, Minaka, yer doin' fine... great, as a matter of fact. Just let it come naturally... I'll let you know when to tone the effort down."  
  
Minaka did as told, exerting herself to the fullest extent. When she began to wonder just how long the baby was, Washuu held up a bloodied hand.  
  
"HOLD IT! Now, go easier... easy, not so hard! There we go... good, good..."  
  
Sasami, from her position, could see everything. She paused in swabbing Minaka's forehead just long enough to gape at the miracle happening before her eyes.   
  
And finally, for Minaka, it ended. Washuu worked away feverishly at the baby, and finally, a tiny cough, followed by a lusty yowl, could be heard. Minaka laughed quietly, tears flowing from her eyes.  
  
"Its okay... its okay..."  
  
Washuu grinned from ear to ear. "It's more than okay, it's the healthiest baby I've seen in ages! Congrats, Minaka, you have a little boy!"  
  
Sasami smiled brightly. "Wow! Minaka, did you hear that? You had a boy, just like you wanted! Oh wow, that's so great!"  
  
Minaka merely smiled, tears soaking the hair draped about her face. "My son..."  
  
Washuu shuffled to Minaka's side on her knees, the baby wrapped in a soft blanket. "Here he is... he wants to see his momma."  
  
Minaka gently cradled her son in her arms, shushing him quietly. "Its okay now, little one... shh... its okay, momma's here... poor little guy, you had it rough, didn't you? All that stress and excitement, huh? Well, you just relax now... it's all over. Momma's here for you, baby... just relax now, little one..."  
  
The little baby's cries ceased, replaced by a gentle snuffling. The baby looked up curiously at its mother, and cooed gently. He yawned loudly, and snuggled down into the blankets, closing his eyes, and drifted off to sleep.   
  
"Aw... poor little fella, he's just as tired as his mommy is," Washuu commented.   
  
"Hmm... he looks like such an angel... what do you think, Sasami, should we name him Angel? ...Sasami?" Minaka looked up, and grinned. Even in the excitement of the moment, Sasami had fallen asleep, her head nodding up and down as she drowsily agreed. "Angel... sounds so pretty..."  
  
Washuu smiled. "Poor kid... she got to see what she'd wanted to, though... here, Minaka, I'll be right back. I'm going to bring Sasami to her room."  
  
Washuu pulled Sasami into her arms, and carried her outside. Minaka could hear Sasami whimper faintly, whispering "No... I'm okay... just let me stay a little longer..." to Washuu. Washuu merely smiled and continued on her way. "Now now now, kiddo, it's been a long time, and you need yer sleep too... you can see the baby when you're fully awake, I promise."  
  
Moments later, Washuu returned, closing the door behind her. "Well, I told the gang, and they're all as pleased as punch about the good news. Ryoko could use a little fine-tuning in the 'show of emotions' department, but I can read her thoughts. She's relieved that yer okay, if ya need to know."  
  
She quietly knelt down next to Minaka, who held her sleeping son gently to her chest. Tears coursed their way down her face as she sobbed softly.  
  
"He's so beautiful, Washuu... I can't believe it... look how tiny and peaceful he is..."  
  
Washuu smiled gently. "I know... it's a wonderful feeling, isn't it?... I miss that feeling... the happiness and joy of a new baby... I miss it so..."  
  
Minaka looked with amazement at Washuu. "Miss Washuu... you... you had a baby?"  
  
A tear 'plished' on Washuu's hand, trickling down her fingers. "Yes... a long time ago... I already told Lord Tenchi and the others partly about it, but I felt so silly... it hurts to recall it, even after so long a time. I feel ashamed. I told Lord Tenchi about it to soften him up, so I could get a shot at him. It must make me look like such a fool to him. Using a sob story to get to his heart. But it was true, all of it... I keep pushing it away, laughing at it, but deep down it still tears at me."  
  
Minaka tugged gently on Washuu's sleeve. "When you said you 'knew the feeling' of wanting to keep my son's gender a secret, I thought that this was what you were implying, but I couldn't be sure. Please, Miss Washuu. I know it hurts, but please tell me your story. It might hurt less, or more, I don't know... but I won't think any less of you if you told me."  
  
Pausing momentarily, Washuu shuddered, then launched her story.  
  
"Well, I told Tenchi only part of my story... the parts that hurt the most. I never told him all of it... maybe, maybe if I let it out, it'll stop hurting so bad... do you mind if I lump all my emotional backwash on you?"  
  
Minaka smiled reassuringly, and grasped Washuu's hand tightly. "I've told you everything there is to know about me, first crushes and things like that. I think it's way past time that I returned the favor. I'm listening, Miss Washuu."  
  
Washuu smiled softly. "Well, okay... thank you Minaka. I appreciate it, really...  
  
"Eons ago... sounds strange, but well, for most of it I was sealed up in a parallel dimension, so a few hundred years really isn't too much...  
"I was a student at the Galactic Space Academy. I learned sciences there, and by sciences I mean everything there was to know. Physics, chemistry, interdimensional phenomena, you name it I learned it. It got boring for me after a while, because I ended up remembering everything I was taught, and soon, nothing seemed to interest me. Oh sure, I loved science, but heck, I could go out and invent things that I wanted to, instructor supervised or not. What fun was that? However, there was one student that kept me coming to class, one that always surpassed the others and knew more than all of them. His name was Mikumo."  
  
Minaka gasped.  
  
"Minaka, what is it?"  
  
"Huh? Oh.. Nothing, but... when Sasami asked me if I were to have a boy, what would I name him, I said I didn't know, and she suggested Mikumo."  
  
Washuu blinked. "That's odd, I never told the gang about him or his name... I wonder where she got it from- oh, dammit."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Heh... I forgot that as I am telepathically linked with Ryoko, so she is with me. She probably read my mind on an off day and learned of Mikumo that way, then went and talked with Sasami about it. Geez... I gotta hand it to Ryoko, she can be downright blackmailing sometimes. She really loves Sasami, whether she wants anyone else to find out about it or not... tells her little secrets and whatnot, like she was her sister... but anyways, I'm getting off topic."  
  
Shaking her head, Washuu continued with her story.  
  
"Well, anyway, that was his name, Mikumo. He was exceptionally bright, and I took a shining to him. He was an elder student, as well, and was... quite the charmer. Eventually, we fell in love. It got hard for me to even concentrate on creating inventions when he was nearby, and he made it equally as difficult by attending each seminar that I was in every day. He was such a flirt... sent me roses once, in the middle of class."  
  
Washuu felt herself flush. To remember all this was a shock to her system, and it made her feel something she hadn't felt in over 15,000 years: special.  
  
"We would meet after school hours, and we began to date. He showed me to all the ritzy places, as his family was high in the political system, he had access to all the nice, expensive places to eat. I, on the other hand, showed him the other side of life. I'd take him to the countryside where I grew up... we'd lie in the middle of a field and look at all the stars, naming all the galaxies and constellations... it was one such night as that when we first made love."  
  
Now Minaka could feel herself blush.  
  
"However, I found out that his family, a prestigious, well to do kind of people, hated me, my kind. They told Mikumo to drop me, that I was worth little more than the dirt on his shoes. So you know what he did? ...He married me. He told his family that he didn't care, that he would rather spend his entire life with me than one day with one of their own. This enraged them, and they left us be, until we found out that we were having a baby. They still didn't trust me, and tried convincing Mikumo that I was a danger, a threat to the baby. I was determined to show them that I was a person worthy of being a daughter and mother, and I worked so hard to try and win them over. I thought I had, too... they began to act nicer towards me, even threw a baby shower. When I finally had my baby, they publicized it highly... I had no clue what they were actually doing.  
  
"One night I was called away by the division head of a project I was involved in, because a new discovery had been made, and they needed my input. This was more than enough evidence for Mikumo's family that I wasn't a worthy mother, and so, when I returned home, they sent messengers to come and take both my husband and my baby away from me, right in front of my own eyes.  
  
"At first, I didn't know what to think. I was consumed with grief over losing the two most important things in my life. For the longest time, I didn't do anything, as I recalled. I simply lost myself in my sadness... and then, I became rebellious. I was still very young, even though I had graduated at the top of my class and become a professor, and that little part of me, that immature, young part of me, wanted revenge for what had happened. And I did just that: I took it upon myself to create anything that would hurt adults as much as they had hurt me. I created dimensional disruption cannons, transdimensional laser guns... I even began to experiment with something I had discovered living on a planet millions of light years away, called Mass. Mass is the base for all elements in the known galaxy, and is intelligent. It can communicate with other Mass, and can join together with each other to form life forms that can adapt to any environment. It was then that I decided that in order to fully bring about my revenge on the adult world, I would have to create an object of organic composition who had the ability to form energy weapons out of its own natural power, something that was impervious to all retaliation...  
  
"Then I met up with Kagato. He was a rebel, just as I was, a student at the Academy who admired me in a way for my creations of destruction. He won me over, but he was toying with me. He showed me his immense battleship, the Souja, and told me that he was planning to leave the planet in search of... more welcoming people who would accept him for his, how did he put it? 'Eccentricity'. But it was inoperable. All that metal and science was useless. So he co-opted me to help him. In return for producing a core to power the Souja, he would allow me to travel with him in his quest to find a more welcoming planet. Angry at the people around me, I naturally agreed... and joined him. I created a core more powerful than was necessary to power the ship, which turned out to be the downfall of hundreds of planets. I didn't realize what he'd actually had in store for me, and I lived with him on his ship. He'd even set up a small lab for me in one of the ship's empty bays so I could continue with my experiments. So, off I went. I transferred all my belongings to his ship, and continued my research on the Mass, along with research of three small gems I had had since I was a young girl. I had been in possession of the gems, but I had no idea what they were, or where they were from. All I knew was that, every so often, they would glow on their own, as if they had their own life. I began to analyze them, along with Kagato as my assistant, and I came across the fact that they were of no identifiable origin. On further analysis, I found that they could be used to power a life form, and on even deeper analysis, I found they could be used to power an adult sized life form. I was still longing in my heart for another heir, another little baby. But I knew I couldn't replace him. So I decided to break the mold. I used my own DNA, and combined it with the Mass, and added one gem as a finishing touch. Ryoko was born from all this. I was pleased... she was perfect, in every way... she was physically mature when she was born, and had been programmed to act as an adult would, but she had essentially no other knowledge of anything...   
  
"That's when Kagato released his plan. He took Ryoko away from me, and showed me just what he could do to her. I had analyzed the gems me to the fullest extent that I though possible, but he had analyzed them even more, revealing to me another twist to the gems that I hadn't even thought of. The gem I had used to power Ryoko, in conjunction with the other two I had left out, would give her unbelievable brute power. I had, in a way, done everything Kagato had wanted me to. He knew I would try to create a life form to try and replace my baby. Somehow, he had found out about the power-giving capabilities of the gems far before I did, and knew I would try to use them to power a life form if I had made one. I had, and now his plan was complete. He never revealed the rest of it to me, and, fearing I would break free from him and escape, he sealed me in a crystal in a hyper-dimension on his ship. I remember watching him take Ryoko away... she was crying, and there was nothing I could do to stop Kagato from taking her and doing what he wished. It was that way for several hundred years... in that space of time he toyed with Ryoko, controlling her to do his dirty work. Every once in a while he would let her go on her own... she was of adult mentality, but she was very innocent... she didn't know what Kagato was doing to her, and would often go to planets he would make her go to, and make friends, only to have Kagato pull her back... then he told her about what she was intended to do. She tried to rebel, tried to get away, but Kagato controlled her... he could turn off her mind if he wanted... using that ploy, he easily got control of Ryoko's other half, the half that wasn't under his constant control, her innocent half. That was when the play got dirty. He made her into a space pirate... if I hadn't... hadn't put in that gem, if I had been more powerful enough to protect her from Kagato, maybe she would have been nicer... but her life experiences don't allow her to be nice... she won't even call me "mom"... but, that's because of her nature. She got toughened up in all those years I was imprisoned... if she were to be nice, it would make her feel as if she had a weakness, and she'd pull even farther away into herself than ever before. She puts on such a tough face, but deep, deep down, she's still that innocent little girl... my little girl..."Minaka looked up to Washuu, to see her crying. She tugged at her sleeve.  
  
"Miss Washuu... I didn't know..."  
  
"How could you have? Nobody knows... it's okay, don't feel bad about me crying... I needed to get all this out..."  
  
She turned her head away from Minaka, tears flowing freely from her eyes. The repressed memories had worked their way to the surface, and left Washuu feeling exhausted. She shivered nervously, an enormous hole now in the very core of her being.  
  
Minaka worked herself into a sitting position, and leaned on Washuu, slinging a free arm about her shoulders and hugging as well as she could.  
  
"I wish I could say something to make this all better for you, but... I can't. Its been eating at you for eons... how could words possibly help you? The only thing I can really offer you is a shoulder to cry on..."  
  
"That's all I really need right now..." came Washuu's voice, weak. She slumped forward, snoring quietly. The expulsion of her story left her empty, and now, with all the anger and depression worked free, all Washuu wanted to do was sleep.  
  
"...Poor thing..." Minaka gently rested her friend on her side, and pulled up an unused blanket, draping it about her shoulders. Washuu moaned softly, smiling, and snuggled down into Minaka's lap, pulling the blanket closer over herself. Minaka smiled as she petted Washuu's spiky hair with her free hand.  
  
Suddenly, the door slid open quietly, and Tenchi peeked his head in.  
  
"Oh... you're still awake! I thought you'd have fallen asleep by now or something..."  
  
He paused, seeing Washuu passed out in Minaka's lap, and laughed.  
  
"Now that's a first... I don't think I've ever seen her look so peaceful..."  
  
Minaka looked up, smiling. "Me either. You think we should let her sleep here, or should we bring her back to her lab?"  
  
"Nah, let her stay here. She'd probably get mad if we took her away from you and the baby. Speaking of which... may I?..."  
  
Minaka nodded, and beckoned Tenchi to come closer. Cautiously tiptoeing to the edge of the futon, Tenchi kneeled and looked. The little baby still slept peacefully, and Tenchi gently brushed at its bangs with a hand.  
  
"It's so tiny... wow... boy or girl?"  
  
"Boy," Minaka said, a bit flustered. Tenchi was sitting so close...  
  
A faint grumble brought Tenchi and Minaka to attention. Ryoko stood in the doorway, holding a tray in her hands.  
  
"...Sasami made this... she knows she can't come in here for a while, but she couldn't sleep, so she made up some tea. Here."  
  
Stiffly, Ryoko made her way to the center of the room, and dropped the tray to the floor. It clattered slightly, waking Minaka's baby. He cried out sharply, the noise startling him.  
  
Ryoko grimaced, and slipped to the door, the baby's cries renting the air. But... for some reason, she couldn't leave...  
  
Quietly, she turned, and padded back to the center of the room. She knelt down beside Tenchi, and looked intently at Minaka.  
  
"Minaka, may I hold the baby?"  
  
Minaka looked reluctant.   
  
"I promise I won't hurt him, okay? Please..."  
  
Slowly, Minaka handed her baby to Ryoko, who held him awkwardly.  
  
"No, no, you have to hold him like this... yes, like that... there you go..."  
  
Ryoko knelt back, the crying baby in her arms. For some strange reason, she felt an attachment to this small, squealing creature... she'd never liked babies much, but for some reason, this little one made her feel a peculiar ache in her heart...  
  
Suddenly, she did something very unexpected. Holding the baby close, she began to rock, back and forth, and talked quietly to the little one.  
  
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to wake you up, I promise... poor little fella, that scared you, huh? Well, don't worry... your momma's here to protect you, and so's all your uncles and aunts... and me. I'll never let anything bad happen to you... you can count on old Ryoko, she'll be there..."  
  
As if by magic, the little baby's cries ceased. It snuffled quietly, then looked up at Ryoko, and sneezed.  
  
Both Minaka and Tenchi were awestruck. "Wow... Ryoko..."  
  
She blinked. Then she realized... a silly smile had been plastered across her face, and she had been cooing at the baby in a cutesified manner. She blushed, and thrust the baby back into Minaka's arms.  
  
"I, uh, better be going... the others are waiting back downstairs. I... ugh."  
  
Turning on her heels, Ryoko trotted out of the room quickly, a huge look of embarrassment on her face.  
  
The pair sat in the awkward silence that followed Ryoko's exit.  
  
"Wow... I don't think I've ever seen anything like that before... Ryoko's never acted like that... how strange..." Tenchi mused.  
  
Minaka grinned. "Well, as strange as it may be, I think it was kind of cute. Imagine, Space Pirate Ryoko, going gaga over a little baby..."  
  
Ryoko hovered near the partly opened doorway, biting at her nail. Dammit! she thought. One more slip-up like that, and people here will think I'm a slacker...   
  
But still... the warmth of the tiny baby in her arms, its cry, those bright blue eyes... Ryoko chanced it to smile, quietly, to herself. She teleported away silently to her favorite hiding spot atop the roof of the house, and sat, curled up, hugging her knees to her chest, looking out over the lake surrounding the house, smiling to no one in particular save herself.  
  
*****  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Lousy title, I know... buaha. *sigh* Well, this is it. Chapter 3. I hope this puts the minds of all the Ryoko-fans out there at ease... y'see? I'm not intent on making her a mean-spirited witch all the time... she'll have more "sweet" moments, I promise... this took me a long time to write, (the whole thing, I mean) all I ask is for a little patience. It'll resolve itself... I'm not a static person, I do allow for character growth.  
  
Levaticus: And she finally figured out how to make it easier to read... tab formatting doesn't work, silly girl.  
  
Speck: Oh shuddup... I need to MST this work eventually... Chapter 4 coming eventually... 


	4. Arrival of Evil

All characters relating to Tenchi Muyo! and its multiverses, if not stated before, are (c) AIC/Pioneer. All other characters not relating to it (Minaka, Tetsuri, etc.) are strictly of my creation.  
  
Minaka Muyo! (No Need For Minaka!)  
By Sue "Speck" Quigley  
  
Chapter 4: Arrival of Evil  
  
  
*****   
"Ummf... boy, what a dream..."  
  
Washuu stretched, yawning, and looked about. Minaka! Where was she? And the little baby? Hastily, Washuu scrambled on all fours to the doorway, and peeked out. The typical scents of the usual Masaki breakfast hung in the air, and she could hear the clang of frying pans still being used. Leaping two steps by two, Washuu hurtled downstairs and into the kitchen...  
  
Minaka hovered near the stove, humming happily as she scraped eggs into a plate. She turned, and hopped back a step in surprise at the sight of the tussled Washuu.  
  
"Oh, my, Miss Washuu, what are you doing up? I was going to bring you something to eat, you must be starving..."  
  
Washuu blinked. "But... what are you doing up? The baby-..."  
  
Minaka smiled warmly, and invited Washuu to sit at the table, placing the plate in front of her. "Oh, don't worry about him, Sasami's watching over him. Ooh, but I'm still so sore... after two days, you'd think I'd be okay..."   
  
Washuu gagged on her food. "Two days? You mean to tell me I've been sleeping for two days?!"  
  
"Oh yes... it was impossible to get you up, too... I gave up after a while, you were out like a light... I suppose your story took it all   
out of you, huh?"  
  
Washuu simply sat, perplexed. How on earth could she have been out for two days? She'd heard of "unexplained phenomena", but this was ridiculous!  
  
Minaka grinned, and walked out into the living room, waving over her shoulder. "I've got to go out and check up on Sasami and my son... we still haven't named him yet, either... Sasami wants to pick the name, I ought to go see if she's gotten anything together yet."  
  
Washuu, uninterested in the rest of her food, hurried after Minaka, out onto the porch. Sasami sat in the sun, Ryo-Ohki peering nervously at the baby she held in her arms.  
  
"Aw, don't worry, Ryo-Ohki! He's too little yet... he won't bother you like Taro does..."  
  
Ryo-Ohki kept her distance, regardless of how "safe" it was, and mewled cautiously.  
  
Minaka sat next to Sasami, and peered over. "How is he?"  
  
"He's fine... but he sleeps so much, I hope he's okay!"  
  
Minaka laughed. "I wouldn't worry. He gets it from his mom." She smiled. "So, have you picked a name for him yet, Sasami?"  
  
"Oh! Well... I should really let you name him... I mean, he is your baby..."  
  
"Aw, it's okay! Besides, I like the names you pick, anyway... I'm terrible at picking names."  
  
"Well," Sasami began...  
  
"How about Mikumo?"  
  
Sasami and Minaka looked up, startled, to see Washuu standing quietly in the doorway, her face hidden from view.   
  
Minaka looked guilty. "But... Miss Washuu, I-..."  
  
"No, I agree... it's a nice name, and it fits him perfectly. Besides, its just a name! You can call him whatever you want. I just... like the sound of Mikumo."  
  
Minaka paused. "...Well then... I guess we could call him Mikumo."  
  
The baby awoke, giggling and smiling, his bright eyes flashing.  
  
"Wow, it's almost like he knows his name already!" Sasami laughed.   
  
Washuu turned stiffly from the doorway, and retreated into the house. Minaka, concerned, followed after her. "Miss Washuu, wait, please!"  
  
Washuu ran, a sob catching in her throat, right into her lab. She slammed the door shut, and slumped down on the other side, crying miserably. It hadn't anything to do with Minaka naming the baby after Mikumo, no... but something else was tearing at her heart... the sight of the baby's bright blue eyes, his skin...  
  
A dark shadow, darker than the darkest corner of Washuu's lab, loomed over her prostrate form. She looked up, and gave a faint scream. "Who... who are you?..."  
  
"Miss Washuu, please! You don't have to do this! We can name him something else, please, just don't hurt yourself like this!...   
Please..."  
  
Minaka wrenched at the doorknob, trying to open the door, which had been locked. She pleaded quietly, tugging at the door... when it gave way.  
  
"Oh, thank goodness... Miss Washuu, please-..."  
  
Minaka paused, as she found herself staring into the dusty contents of an ordinary broom closet.  
  
*****  
  
"WHAT?! What do you mean she's gone?"  
  
A council had been brought together in the Masaki living room, headed by Minaka. She sat in the center, holding Mikumo, as the others stared at her.  
  
"I mean she's gone. She just... I don't know... something must have snapped when she told me her full story, enough for her to pull   
completely into her shell, enough so to make her want to vanish. I've tried accessing her lab, but she's closed off the portal to hyperspace, so I can't reach her. Or anybody else, for that matter..."  
  
"And I can't read her, either... most of the time I keep the astral link between us closed because the incessant science mumbo-jumbo drives me nuts... but sometimes, if she's having a quiet moment, I'll open it up again, just to see what she's thinking... I can't even detect her presence anywhere... meaning she's either killed herself, which is HIGHLY unlikely, or she's stuck in some weird impenetrable subspace thingy that she's always muttering about... if I could find even a faint trace of her thoughts, I could pinpoint her location in subspace and teleport there to get her back, but I can't read anything..."   
  
An uncomfortable silence reigned, when a stifled sob from Minaka brought the gang to attention.  
  
"This is all my fault. If I hadn't... hadn't made her tell me her entire story..."  
  
Ryoko grimaced. "No, it isn't your fault, Minaka. There's something else going on here. Washuu, even at her most depressed, probably wouldn't simply pull up her tent and hoof it outta here. It's too suspicious... I have a feeling something else is at hand here,   
something much more dangerous."  
  
As if on cue, a bright light suddenly exploded in the center of the room, sending the others tumbling backwards. A small, round object hovered in the air for a moment, then dropped to the ground, four foot-like projections setting it upright. A tiny lens opened at its top, and displayed a holographic window. A shadow appeared at its center, and the figure stepped into a spotlight. He smiled.  
  
Minaka gasped. "You... Tetsuri! What are you doing here?"  
  
The image of Tetsuri laughed, and grinned mischievously. "Ah, Minaka, so you do remember me, how sweet. And after all this time, I'd thought you were dead... a shame, really..."  
  
Ryoko could feel her blood boiling. "Hey, just who the hell are you, and what are you doing here, huh?"  
  
Tetsuri's dark eyes glanced at Ryoko momentarily. "Ah, the infamous space pirate, Ryoko. Odd... seeing you in such domestic settings... I'd have expected you to be out, well, destroying planets with that furball of yours, Ryo-Ohki. I see you've settled down a bit, eh?"  
  
Snarling, Ryoko powered up an energy blast, ready to destroy the holographic transmitter. Tetsuri clucked his tongue.  
  
"Ah ah ah, Ryoko... if you destroy this transmitter, how will you ever be able to find your mother?"  
  
Tetsuri stepped aside in the window and, with a wave of his hand, revealed his hostage. Washuu, bound by her legs and arms, hung, almost lifeless, from a crucifix-like contraption. She was clothed only with a thin, black thong, that crossed over her body and ended with a shiny silver clasp around her neck. She gave a loud groan, and lifted her head, only to have two armed pirate guards shove at her with prods. One of the guards flicked a switch on his prod, and electrocuted Washuu into silence.  
  
"Oh God no..." Minaka felt her heart pounding furiously inside her chest. Angrily, she glanced from the sight of her friend to the   
sneering space pirate Tetsuri.  
  
"Let her go this instant! She hasn't done a thing to you..."  
  
"Ah, but you see, my sweet... she has. When we tortured you in front of the thousands of Jurai, we meant business, so much so that we believed you to be dead. But I knew better. I placed a small tracking device inside your body to make sure you were dead... it was found that you managed to survive the electroshock burns, but we still had used the macrovirus to ensure that you would eventually die. However, you didn't! It seems that, through some act of omniscience, your friend here was able to save your pathetic life, and that of your mewling brat. So, because you remain alive, and because of Professor Washuu's actions, mortal or immortal, we must dispose of her... unless..."  
  
"Unless what?"  
  
Tetsuri put a finger to his lips, in thought. He smiled cruelly. "We could let her go... IF, you come in her place, in order for us to get   
the job done right. You know too much, Minaka, and I'm sure you've told your friend everything..."  
  
"NO! No... look... I swear, Washuu will never tell a soul... I'll make sure she won't... but please, don't hurt her! I'll.."  
  
She looked uneasily at the gang... at her little son, Mikumo...  
  
"I'll go in her place. Just please... please don't hurt her."  
  
Tetsuri snapped his fingers, and an image of a vast spaceship appeared, on the outskirts of the Earth's atmosphere.  
  
"You have thirty minutes to make it here... if you do not arrive within that time, Washuu will be executed. That is all... oh, and bring the brat with you. I may as well raise him myself after you have been disposed of. Until then..."  
  
The image of Tetsuri disappeared. Minaka hunched over and sobbed.  
  
"No... not this... no..."  
  
Swiftly, Ryoko swept her arm out, and slapped Minaka across the face, hard. She glared at her.  
  
"Get up..."  
  
Tenchi looked up in anger. "Ryoko, don't-..."  
  
Minaka tugged at his shirt sleeve. "No... no, she's right. I'm not going to sit here and cry, while they do all those terrible things to Washuu. I won't let her die... she gave her all to save my life. It's about time I did the same..."  
  
Minaka turned her amber-hued eyes to Ryoko, who now wore a smirk on her face.  
  
"Shall we give 'em hell, Minaka?"  
  
Minaka smirked back. "But of course.."  
*****  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I AM INCREDIBLY SORRY FOR HAVING NOT UPDATED THIS IN... uhmm... a very long time. -_- Just pointing this out now, but the fic in its entirety can be found on my homepage at http://www27.brinkster.com/speckzone/fanficwrite.htm  
I will, however, be uploading the rest of the chapters one at a time when I have the time. College is killing me, and now I'm finding I have to take driving lessons. So MEGA-STRESS time. But I will finish this, I promise you all. 


	5. Showdown

All characters relating to Tenchi Muyo! and its multiverses, if not stated before, are (c) AIC/Pioneer. All other characters not relating   
to it (Minaka, Tetsuri, etc.) are strictly of my creation.  
  
  
  
Chapter Five: Showdown  
  
  
*****  
  
in outer space...   
  
Minaka, aboard Neku-oh, stood, rigid and tense, as the image of the immense space pirate battleship appeared in Neku-oh's radars. She hadn't seen it for so long...   
  
Another window popped up, this time containing the face of Ryoko, wearing her traditional battle suit, the right half of her face darkened by a long, black stripe.   
  
"Hey Minaka, is this it?"   
  
"Yeah... huge isn't it?"   
  
Ryoko grinned nastily. "Yeah, kinda like the Souja, only a bit smaller... whoever built this thing wasn't a genius. We can get around the defenses easily enough... but be careful. They've probably got a beam cannon built into that thing too. I'll take Ryo-Ohki around to the other side, you and Neku-oh get around to the right... I'll fire off a few rounds to get their defenses aimed at me, and if this is right..."   
  
Another window with schematics for the enemy ship popped up. It showed the plan for attack, with Ryo-Ohki's cannons firing at the left side of the ship. The defenses reconfigured for that side of the ship, but left a giant hole in the right side. Ryoko continued.   
  
"...then you should be able to slip through their defense shield. After you get through, I want you to let off a few rounds. You'll be beneath the defense shield, but they'll be able to attack your ship. The defense shields will reconfigure for the right side of the ship, and I'll be able to get though and get to you in time. Then we can rendevous with them, and land. Got it?"   
  
The plan seemed a little far-fetched, but with so few minutes left and Washuu's life hanging in the balance, there was no time to contend the recklessness of it. "Got it, Ryoko. Minaka out."   
  
Even in the quiet of outer space, one could hear the sound of Ryo-Ohki's battle cry as she fired off her main cannons. As Ryoko had predicted, the defense shields surrounding the huge ship shifted to the left side, where the main attacks were being launched. Several small fighter ships, safe within the boundaries of the defense shield, fired back at Ryo-Ohki, but their attacks bounced harmlessly off her defenses. Using that nugget of time, Minaka slipped into the right half of the ship's unprotected boundaries.   
  
"Neku-oh, fire main cannons!"   
  
"Yes ma'am!"   
  
Several small, pea-shooter-size cannons on each wing fired at the side of the ship. Minaka could hear the sounds of the defense shields lowering over the top of her ship, and saw several small fighter craft heading towards her.   
  
"Neku-oh! Switch off main cannons and open hailing frequency. We're here to negotiate..."   
  
"Yes ma'am!"   
  
A comlink window opened, and the face of a gnarled space pirate filled it.   
  
"Hey, whaddya think yer doin' here, attackin' the ship?"   
  
Minaka simply glared back at him. "I'm sure Tetsuri's told you of my arrival... I'm Minaka Asano. The others are a rescue party for the captive Washuu Hakubi. We attacked your ship because the damned defenses were all over the place, we couldn't even contact you. I'm sure you'd agree that sometimes drastic measures need to be taken. Now, let us pass."   
  
The pirate growled, and contacted the other ships. "Defenses down! This is the one we're trading for that red-haired captive."   
  
The other ships gradually faded back into the shadows that the huge ship cast. Ryo-Ohki appeared next to Neku-oh, and Ryoko opened a comlink.   
  
"Well, that was fun. Now, what's going on here?"   
  
Minaka looked up. "That ship there's leading us into the main ship. C'mon, lets follow..."   
  
"Right."   
  
Minutes later, Minaka, holding Mikumo in her arms, followed by Ryoko, Tenchi, and Aeka, stepped down into a darkened corridor, lighted only by small electric lanterns on the wall. Obviously, the space pirates that dwelled within preferred the look of legendary dungeons, and had designed their ship to include the dank and dusty surroundings. Mikumo sneezed quietly, and coughed.   
  
The pirate that led them cast an angry glance over his shoulder. "Hey, keep that brat quiet, or I'll-..."   
  
"You'll what, huh? Wanna tangle?" Ryoko glared back menacingly, and brandished her energy sword. Minaka raised a hand.   
  
"No violence, please... we are guests here, remember?"   
  
She glanced back at Ryoko and winked. Ryoko grinned, winking back. She made a low growl in her throat, as if displeased with Minaka's command, and snorted.   
  
They continued on for what seemed like ages, when finally, they came upon a large, wooden door. The pirate knocked on it, and a large comlink window appeared.   
  
"Sir, I wish to report-..."   
  
Tetsuri waved his hand. "No need. You are dismissed."   
  
He glanced at Minaka, and smiled. "I see you have made it just in time. A few minutes remain, of course, but we were preparing the electronic prods for full stun... just enough to kill your friend. But, seeing you here certainly gladdens my heart! Guards!"   
  
With a snap of his fingers, the doors opened, revealing two guards, Tetsuri, and...   
  
"WASHUU! Oh my God!"   
  
Washuu hung, her body still in the crucifix pose, from a large crystalline cross. Blood coursed its way down her scarred body, to drip to the floor. Her chest rose and fell, but weakly, and every so often, she coughed, only to wince and weaken even more.   
  
"You.... you BASTARD! What the hell have you done to her?!"   
  
Tetsuri chuckled. "Why, I thought I told you we knew she'd had to have saved you using some sort of omniscience... so we decided to see if we couldn't wheedle it out of her... stupid woman, she kept telling us that she didn't remember..."   
  
Tenchi, thoroughly horrified at the sight before him, became suddenly enraged. "But she doesn't know! She's had her memories erased!"   
  
Tetsuri became interested. "A Juraian prince, how interesting... you say she has no memories? How would you know that, boy? Unless... GUARDS! Seize him immediately!"   
  
The two armed thugs rushed Tenchi. Quickly, Tenchi grabbed his sword and activated it, slashing away at the two guards.   
  
Minaka, quickly handing Mikumo to Aeka, made her way to the podium on which Tetsuri stood, and threw herself to the ground. "NO! No, please... I'll tell you everything I know, just let my friends go!"   
  
The two guards hesitated, and Tenchi held his ground. Ryoko, in a battle pose, and Aeka, protectively guarding Mikumo, looked up sharply.   
  
"Please... just let them go..."   
  
Tetsuri seemed to think about this for a moment, then snapped his fingers. The guards dropped their stances, and backed away from Tenchi.   
  
"So be it. I'll spare their worthless lives... but from now on, both you and the baby are mine to do with as I please."   
  
With a wave of his hand, Washuu was released from her bonds. Being at a severe height, her tiny frame seemed to drop for miles. Ryoko leapt quickly, and slid on her knees to where Washuu would eventually fall, catching her in her arms. She held her gently, and lifted her.   
  
"It's okay now, mom... you're okay..."   
  
Washuu's eyes fluttered, and opened slightly. She seemed to smile.   
  
"Ryoko... I never... thought I'd hear you... call me "mom" again..."   
  
She coughed raggedly, blood spattering across the front of Ryoko's battle suit. Ryoko ignored it, and carried Washuu to a corner, resting her down gently.   
  
"Well, don't think I'm getting soft or anything now, okay mom?"   
  
Washuu merely smiled, and then passed out from pain and exhaustion. Ryoko turned angrily on her heels, and stalked back to the center of the room. Deep down, she loved her mother, and it angered her greatly to see her hurt or injured. She covered it with indignation, but this time, she couldn't contain her anger. Charging her energy sword, she rushed at Tetsuri.   
  
"You BASTAAARD!"   
  
Tetsuri, aware of Ryoko's assault, turned. Lifting both his arms, palms outstretched, he growled.   
  
"HAH!"   
  
Three long, winglike shields deployed from his hands, sending Ryoko crashing to the ground. She skidded to a stop at Tenchi's feet, only to hop back up again.   
  
"Damn, that's right. He's Juraian... but Lighthawk Wings?... This is going to be tougher than I thought..."   
  
"Guards! Bring Minaka and the child to me..."   
  
However, Minaka stood her ground. Growling fiercely, she crossed her arms over her chest, and concentrated, grating out a message of anger and hatred.   
  
"You may take me, Tetsuri... but I won't let you lay one finger on our son..."   
  
She began to glow, an intense aura of energy surrounding her body. They gave off immense waves of heat and power, causing Ryoko and Tenchi to stumble backwards. Aeka threw herself at the two, and created a shield with the small wooden guardians. The energy deflected off of her shield, but was still impressive.   
  
"What the hell... it's like she's..." Tenchi muttered.   
  
"Oh, LOOK!"   
  
Aeka merely pointed, but both Ryoko and Tenchi were aware...   
  
Minaka's body, still glowing, had begun to change. She became taller, and her skin darkened. Two dark stripes, edging her jawline, appeared, as did a form of Juraian battle dress. However, her new form shredded the sleeves, leaving her wearing a sort of toga. Two large sharp prongs grew from her elbows, and her hair lengthened its way down her back. Finally the energy waves ceased, and Minaka, transformed into a strange beast, stood in its wake.   
  
"Oh my God... she's... she's a Gagutian!"   
  
It took Ryoko and Aeka a moment to remember just what the heck Tenchi was mumbling about. Then they remembered... the affair on Ryuten, Lady Asahi, and the conspiracy... plus Yume and the stolen Royal Tree, Bizen... and Gohgei. Gohgei had seemed, at first, to be a normal and peaceable, if still slightly undertrained, monk, nothing special about him. Then they witnessed his transformation into a powerful, awesome beast, as he strove to protect the one he loved. This time, the scenario was strikingly similar, as Minaka aimed to protect both her newborn son and her best friend.   
  
Tetsuri merely sneered. "Is that the best you can do, my dear? Partly Juraian, partly Gagutian, but still, no match for my power. Allow me to demonstrate."   
  
With all speed, Tetsuri braced himself and powered up. His body began to glow, as well, but not a good, pure aura as the one Minaka had given off. This one radiated evil.   
  
"Oh damn..."   
  
Ryoko clenched her fist in anger. Tenchi looked to her.   
  
"What is it, Ryoko?"   
  
"That power signal he's giving off... it's not human, or Juraian, or anything... he's a biomech. And, he's a transforming biomech... he can absorb the battle techniques and genetic coding of others and use them as his own. He's tricked everyone into believing he's Juraian, but he can become anything he wants, even an unbeatable foe..."   
  
Minaka shielded her face with her arms, her frame able to withstand the amount of energy her foe was giving off. Never had she imagined him to be such a worthy adversary... if he were a normal Juraian, she would have been able to beat him. Now it seemed he was something much more, and she herself, in her new, more powerful form, might not be able to beat him.   
  
Tetsuri screamed his battle cry, as he began to change form. His hands began to change shape, growing long, sharp steel claws. His upper frame became covered in reptilian scales, and his face morphed into a wickedly curved beak, loaded with fangs. Two great, leathery wings sprouted from his back, and his lower body turned into a centaurian form, both front and hind legs sharply clawed. His form ended with a long, curving tail, tipped with a sharp steel barb, waving poisonously in the air.   
  
"Oh kuso..." Ryoko breathed. Aeka merely held her breath. Tenchi, who had only believed such ugly creatures as these to belong in fantasy tales of old, gaped.   
  
"What the hell is that thing?!"   
  
"Not good... not good at all..." Ryoko muttered. She herself, in her escapades as Kagato's slave, had only seen a creature such as this on a scouting trip to an ancient planet, bearing no name but belonging in the Raxis system. They were nameless, evil, beastly creatures with immense fighting powers and insatiable tastes for blood. She had never had to face off against them, as Kagato had so kindly pulled her out just before she got attacked by a mob of the creatures, stating that it was too dangerous to proceed with his plans. She thought she would never see one of these ugly things again...   
  
Aeka, on the other hand, had never actually seen one of these things herself. To the elder Juraians, the creatures were very much real, but to the young children, they knew, would scare them very much to know that they were real. So, the beasts were used as "bogeymen", to scare naughty young ones and to enforce good behavior. Aeka had only thought of them as imaginary beings. Now, to see one, towering and real, before her very eyes, left her very shaken. She toppled to the ground in a swoon.   
  
"Damn... I thought that perhaps the breed had died out or something," Ryoko puzzled. Tetsuri turned his head in her direction, and gave a wicked, fanged smile.   
  
"Well, there aren't many of these wonderful creatures left, I assure you... but, on so many travels, I had heard of them, and their awesome fighting powers. I wanted to see them... and I liked what I saw... Quite a fitting look for me, eh?"   
  
He turned his attention back to Minaka, who stood, both feet planted squarely beneath her. He grinned again.   
  
"Does my new form terrify you? It should..."   
  
"No... it disgusts me," Minaka spat contemptuously. This enraged Tetsuri's new form, and he charged, slashing out with his claws. Minaka countered his blows, returning with her lightning-fast speed and powerful blows. Angry, Tetsuri unfolded his wings, and flew high into the air, to dive and strike at Minaka. She was able to counter, and, grabbing his forelegs, threw him into a wall. Knowing that this blow was not enough to destroy him, Minaka charged at the fallen rubble. Tetsuri burst from the crumbled wall, startling Minaka, and slashed.   
  
Blood spurted from a deep wound in Minaka's neck.   
  
"Oh NO!" Tenchi cried. "She's going to get herself killed! We have to do something!"   
  
"Heh," Ryoko snorted. "Seems it's my turn to remember. Gagutians can keep fighting, even when gravely wounded, remember Tenchi?"   
  
"But she's not full-blooded Gagutian! She's part Juraian, too..."   
  
"So? Take if from me, Tenchi... Juraians are as tough as nails compared to regular humans... a combination of the two types of beings make have made her even stronger..."   
  
Minaka flew through the air above their heads, smashing into the wall behind them. She crumbled, and fell. Tetsuri laughed insanely as he galloped at full speed to the wall.   
  
"KUSO!" Tenchi leapt free of Aeka's protectors and threw himself headlong at Minaka. She may have been a half breed, but Tenchi knew, from past experiences, that while Gagutians had superb fighting tactics, they still lacked sophisticated defenses. Now, knocked unconscious by Tetsuri's attacks, she was helpless, and couldn't even produce Lighthawk Wings to protect herself. Tenchi would have to make it to her and deploy his own Lighthawk Wings in order to protect her.   
  
However, Tetsuri's speed was too much, as he sped past Tenchi, still in mid-stride.   
  
Can't... make it... in time...   
  
A small beam of energy hissed by in front of Tenchi's face, and slammed squarely into Tetsuri's chest, sending him flying head over tail. Tenchi looked quickly in the direction from whence the blast came...   
  
Washuu!   
  
She leaned up against the wall, her arm outstretched, panting quietly. She shot Tenchi a smile, and a quick thumbs-up.   
  
"I'll be... you're something, Washuu..." he said softly, grinning.   
  
A shrill scream was heard, as Tetsuri exploded with rage. His serpentine eyes locked onto Washuu.   
  
"You BITCH! I'm going to KILL YOU!" he screamed, his rage building. Finally, he leapt onto all fours, and charged angrily. Tenchi threw himself in front of Washuu, and attempted to activate the Lighthawk Wings. But Tetsuri's awesome speed and power overcame the young Juraian, as Tetsuri slashed out with a huge claw, knocking Tenchi off his feet. He skidded along the floor, and slammed into the far side of the room. Groggily, he looked up...   
  
Tetsuri wrenched Washuu into the air, his huge claws wrapped around her neck. She gagged and coughed, trying with all her strength to wrench Tetsuri's claws from their stranglehold on her windpipe. Growling loudly, he flung her into the wall, and leaped at her, slashing at her with his steel claws. He gouged and tore at her, slashing his claws down her back, across her face...   
  
"YOU SONOFABITCH!"   
  
Ryoko broke free of Aeka's protective wall, and threw herself carelessly at Tetsuri. She latched onto his back and scratched at him with her nails, and bit him savagely, reverting to feral tactics to attack Tetsuri rather than use her energy beams.   
  
Tetsuri screamed angrily, trying to throw his attacker, but Ryoko clung on fiercely, biting and scratching even harder.   
  
"How'dya like THAT, huh? A taste of yer own medicine? Take THIS, you bastard! And this... is for my mother!"   
  
Ryoko balled up both her fists, raised them, and brought them down sharply to smash across the back of Tetsuri's skull. This fazed him, as he tottered on his legs. His front knees buckled, and he fell to the floor, throwing Ryoko off his back. However, he quickly regained his wits.   
  
"How dare you..." Tetsuri growled. He charged at Ryoko, but instead of attacking her, he swept her out of the way to once again have at it with Washuu. He grabbed at her...   
  
But she was gone. Befuddled, Tetsuri looked about himself, when he saw...   
  
Minaka, standing a few hundred feet from Tetsuri, held Washuu in her arms, tears coursing their way freely down her face. She whispered quietly to her, her voice catching in her throat.   
  
"It's okay now... it's okay, Washuu... rest easy now... everything will be over soon..."   
  
Pacing quietly across the large room, she carried Washuu to Aeka, who still held her defense shields active. She carefully placed Washuu in Aeka's arms, and sat but for a moment, just watching her friend as she struggled to breathe. Her lungs rattled softly, and she coughed, blood spattering to the ground, before her breathing finally became quiet again. Minaka looked up to Aeka, and smiled.   
  
"Protect her, okay? For me?"   
  
Aeka nodded, and concentrated, the strength of her defense shield increasing. Minaka stood, and turned slowly to face Tetsuri. Her body quivered with untold rage, but she held a calm face in front of the evil creature.   
  
"You think that puny shield will keep me from killing her? Before the day is through, I will have slain all your precious friends, your son, and YOU!!"   
  
Screaming at the top of his lungs, Tetsuri reared up on his hind legs, and charged at Minaka, thrusting his claws outward, planning to impale Minaka.   
  
Minaka stood, fearless, channeling her rage. Her body began to glow a bright blue, as she gathered all her anger, hate, and rage into one tiny pinpoint of energy, ready to release at Tetsuri... she just had to wait for the right moment...   
  
Tetsuri continued his charge, laughing madly. "This is too easy! Soon I'll have you run through like a shish-ka-bob!"   
  
Wait for it...   
  
Tenchi sat, aghast at the scene unfolding before his eyes. "Minaka, do something! He's going to kill you!"...   
  
Wait for it...   
  
Ryoko gently clapped Tenchi on the shoulder. "You worry too much. Minaka knows what she's doing... just watch..."   
  
Wait for it...   
  
Aeka, even behind her force field, could feel the immense amount of power Minaka was giving off. Her skin tingled...   
  
Wait...   
  
Washuu, floating in and out of consciousness, opened her eyes slightly... where was this immense power signal coming from?... M... Minaka?   
  
NOW!   
  
Minaka could feel Tetsuri's breath as his sharp claws pierced her shoulder.   
  
"Hah... I've got you, you stupid bitch!"   
  
Minaka smiled nastily, as she slammed her hand into Tetsuri's stomach.   
  
"No... I've got YOU!!"   
  
The beam slammed out of Tetsuri's back, and exploded through a wall. Tetsuri fell away from Minaka, clutching at the hole in his stomach. Unable to speak, he looked fearfully at Minaka, who wore a cruel grin on her face.   
  
"Goodbye, Tetsuri..."   
  
He snarled, once, then collapsed over, his eyes glazing for a moment before, with rapid succession, his body began to vaporize, until, rather quickly, it was nothing more than a smouldering heap of ash.   
  
The silence was deafening. After such a loud battle, the only sounds that could be heard was the faint hum of the ship's engines, and the faint cry of Ryo-Ohki, who had reverted to cabbit form, and hopped into the room. She hopped about, meowing loudly, nuzzling Minaka, who had fallen to the ground.   
  
"I... its over..."   
  
The bundle of cloth, seemingly containing Mikumo, vanished with a crackle. A large comlink window opened above the quiet warriors.   
  
"Need any help in there?" Kiyone's face appeared.   
  
"No," Ryoko said with a grin. "We've got it handled here. How about the rest of the pirate league?"   
  
"We're on it... managed to get most of the Galaxy Police here on red alert. This is one of the larger pirate rings, and it was almost always impossible to find because they were on the move. Your diversion gave us enough time to input the coordinates you gave us prior to the actual diversion. Hey, we might even get promoted for helping to find one of the largest pirate rings in the galaxy!"   
  
A cheerful Mihoshi popped up behind Kiyone, holding the real Mikumo in her arms.   
  
"Oh, he's such a good baby! He stayed so quiet when we had the hologram projector on him... he's such a cutie!" she squealed.   
  
"Uh..." Aeka looked up to the window. "Kiyone, are you apprehending any criminals aboard Yagame?"   
  
"No... Yagame has a few cells on board, of course, but we can't arrest anybody. Not in our jurisdiction... we can alert the other GP ships that are in this jurisdiction, but we can't do anything... why do you ask?"   
  
"Well... does Yagame have any life support units, then?"   
  
"Yes, all GP ships do... why- oh my God..."   
  
Kiyone finally noticed Washuu. "Uh... can she be carried, or do you need a stretcher?"   
  
"We don't have any time to carry her... I'm afraid she isn't doing too well..."   
  
Minaka, from her spot on the floor, gave a gentle moan. She reverted back to her normal Juraian body, but had passed out. Her attack had spent all her energy, and she had nothing left to give.   
  
"Alright. We're sending down a stretcher, just be careful with her... we're at the main entry dock on the first level... can she make it that far, or should we send LSUs?"   
  
"Send LSUs as well, Kiyone, please."   
  
"Right."   
  
The window vanished, once again leaving the room quiet. Ryoko helped Tenchi up, while Aeka continued to hold Washuu in her lap. Ryoko quietly padded to the spot where the two sat, and kneeled down, gently running her hand through Washuu's hair spikes.   
  
"My God, mom... I don't think I've ever... seen you looking quite so fragile... you're always the one saving everybody else with your genius... what are supposed to do now, mom? Can you tell me? I know that normal LSUs aren't gonna help you much... can you even hear me?"   
  
A gentle tickle at the back of Ryoko's mind brought her to full attention... the astral link, which she had kept open, even though she hadn't heard anything from Washuu, was now active.   
  
*Ryoko?... Is... is that you?...*   
  
*Yeah... could you hear me talking to you?*   
  
*...no... not really... I thought I heard you calling me "mom" again, though, but I can't be too sure... could you repeat it a little louder, please?*   
  
Ryoko grinned. *Sure, MOM!*   
  
Washuu seemed to wince, then smile. *OW! Not so loud... listen, Ryoko... I'm not afraid of dying. But... I don't think it would be the same without me, right?*   
  
*Hell no... please, you aren't dying, are you? I don't think Minaka could bear it... neither could I, honestly...*   
  
Washuu chuckled. *Well, I'm not real close to kickin' the bucket, but it is getting hard for me to keep my brain going... that Tetsuri was a hell of a guy, wasn't he? Listen... I'll be able to survive with the LSUs, but that won't keep me going for very long. Have Kiyone get us back to Earth, then you take me and teleport into my lab. You know how to help...*   
  
*No, I don't! I might know the inside of your lab like the back of my hand, but I don't know how to work any of your gadgets!*   
  
*Hush now... you're fretting... look, you might think you don't know anything, but I put a sort of "blueprint" in your memory chips as a sort of backup in case of an emergency. I blocked them off, so even you can't unlock them, but I still can. Here...*   
  
Ryoko sat quietly, then felt a sort of twinge in the back of her mind. Hundreds of images seemed to flash into her vision, then disappear just as quickly. She began to feel an immense knowledge she had never had before...   
  
*There, ya got it?*   
  
Ryoko jumped. *Uh... yeah, I think so... so yer saying that this thing in yer lab can help, right?*   
  
Washuu chuffed quietly. *I'll remind you that its rightful name is the Restor-O-Matic 5000, okay? Just hook me into that baby, press the red button, and I'll be okay, alright?*   
  
It seemed insanely simple, even for one of Washuu's brilliant creations. *Are you sure there aren't any other instructions for me to follow?*   
  
There was a pause. *Washuu? Washuu, speak to me!*   
  
The link became fuzzier, and Washuu's voice seemed to be fading away. *Can't... keep this up much longer... used up most of my energy blasting... then... unlocking the... prints... hurry... not much... left...*   
  
Just at that moment, Kiyone, followed by Mihoshi, who stumbled and tripped on just about nothing, rushed into the room with a large stretcher and an LSU.   
  
"Okay... Ryoko, Aeka, pick Washuu up and bring her over here... be careful..."   
  
The two obeyed quietly, and gently lifted Washuu from the floor, being careful to keep her immobile. They rested her down on the stretcher, and Kiyone applied an oxygen mask to her face, while Mihoshi fumbled with electrodes that led to an EKG monitor.   
  
*Heh... she's such a klutz...*   
  
Ryoko felt a small pang of relief in the midst of her anxiety. *At least your still going... just hang on a bit longer, mom, we can make it... I promise we'll make it back home...*   
  
Washuu's voice warbled drunkenly. *Home... sounds nizzze...*   
  
"Oh God... c'mon, we gotta get her back to the ship!"   
  
"But..." Mihoshi sat, more electrodes applied to herself than to Washuu. Ryoko ripped them off her, Mihoshi yelping quietly, and threw them aside.   
  
"Screw the damn monitor, I'm telling you we need to get her out of here NOW! Kiyone, get ahead of us and jam Yagame's engine thrust to the highest point... she's going to die if we don't do something now!"   
  
Aeka, having not many feelings for Ryoko or her well-being, was suddenly very sympathetic to Ryoko's plight. She gave Ryoko a light pat on the shoulder. Ryoko jumped, then looked back, tears streaming down her scowling face.   
  
"What the hell do you want?"   
  
Her voice... so angry, but so... helpless...   
  
"Washuu will be okay... listen, I'm sure she's doing everything in her own power to keep herself alive, and not just for the rest of us, either. She's doing it for you... she loves you, you know... you two might not have the best relationship with each other, but you still love each other very much, as it should be. She's tough... just like you are... don't give up hope. Fight for her... you won't let her die, now, will you?"   
  
Ryoko had to take a moment to let Aeka's words sink in. Sure, she had a grudge against the princess, and enjoyed tormenting her whenever the need arose... but sometimes, she could be just so damn nice... Ryoko smiled. She hated that, but she liked it, too...   
  
"Right... now, stop being so sentimental, okay Aeka? I'm not a delicate little flower like you are. I'm tough! I'm not going to turn into a helpless bundle of nothing, no way!"   
  
Aeka smiled. She had nerves of steel, but a heart of pure gold.   
  
"Right. Come, now, we need to get to Yagame immediately. Tenchi, can you take care of Minaka?"   
  
Tenchi grinned, lifting Minaka into his arms. "Got it covered, Aeka. Come on, lets go!"   
  
The four warriors exited the room, its emptiness and quiet sinking into each of them.   
*****  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Still uploading when I can, and yes, I forwent the "Title" and "Fic by" headings because I figure you've all been reading this from chapter one, and know the title/who I am by now, so... but the disclaimer stays. 


	6. Faith

All characters relating to Tenchi Muyo! and its multiverses, if not stated before, are (c) AIC/Pioneer. All other characters not relating   
to it (Minaka, Tetsuri, etc.) are strictly of my creation.  
  
Minaka Muyo! (No Need for Minaka!)  
Chapter 6: Faith  
Written by: Sue "Speck" Quigley  
  
  
***   
  
It took less than five minutes for Yagame, whose thrusters were set on maximum power, as Ryoko had instructed, to get back to Earth, seeing as the pirates' stronghold had positioned itself only a few parsecs away from Earth's galactic boundaries. The ship itself made a gentle splashdown in the lake in front of the Masaki residence. Washuu was still alive, but only by a thread, her life hanging by a strand of gossamer so thin that it seemed she would slip away in a heartbeat. Ryoko would have none of that, and upon touchdown in the lake, she set to action, gently grasping Washuu's wrist.   
  
"Wait, Ryoko, what are you doing? We still have to-..."   
  
"There's no time for that. There's something I need to do... see you all later. I promise, Washuu'll be okay."   
  
Ryoko gave off an aura that surrounded both herself and Washuu, and vanished in an instant, leaving the other six behind within Yagame, in confusion.   
  
"She's acting awfully weird... like she knows what to do or something..." Tenchi mused.   
  
"I have a feeling Miss Washuu wasn't entirely unconscious before we left the pirates' ship," Aeka commented. This caused the others to look at her with a keen interest. She continued.   
  
"Remember how before we left to take on the pirates, Ryoko said something about not being able to pick up Washuu's thought pattern with the astral link between them? She must have been keeping it open, sending thoughts to Washuu to get a response... so when the battle ended, I think she got in contact with her. Washuu may have given her a plan to help save her life."   
  
Tenchi nodded. "Well, that does make some sense..."   
  
Minaka gave a quiet groan. She opened her eyes slowly, blinking to clear her blurred vision, and looked about groggily.   
  
"Oh... my head hurts so much... is it over?"   
  
"It's more than over, Minaka. With your help, we've broken up one of the largest pirate rings in the history of the Galaxy Police. And, you got rid of the bandleader as well. It is all over..."   
  
Minaka lowered her head dejectedly. "But... I couldn't save her... I am so weak... I couldn't help save my best friend when she needed me... she's done so much for me, and I couldn't do a thing to help her at all..."   
  
Tenchi knelt down in front of Minaka, and raised her head with his hand, so the two were looking face to face. The blood of healing wounds mixed with tears as Minaka gazed into Tenchi's warm, kind eyes. With his other hand, still gloved in Juraian battle dress, he wiped away her tears, and smiled.   
  
"Minaka... don't beat yourself up like this... Tetsuri was more powerful than we could have even imagined... besides, you did beat him! If you hadn't been able to get him then, Washuu might be dead now. You did save her, Minaka... If she saw you now, she'd probably be angry with you, the way you've been talking..."   
  
Minaka collapsed into Tenchi's arms, crying hysterically, her body twitching as she sobbed. Aeka sat next to Tenchi, and stroked at Minaka's back to calm her.   
  
"He's right, you know... Tetsuri may have been powerful, but your tact to beat him beats his kind of power any day... Washuu's life may be hanging on by a thread, but that's certainly better than being dead. Don't think you are a failure... you've done more for her than either Lord Tenchi, or myself... even Ryoko. You're a hero, Minaka..."   
  
Minaka's body ceased twitching, her muffled sobs quieting to gentle snuffs as she passed out from sheer exhaustion.   
  
"I think it's time we got back to the house... Sasami's probably worried sick..."   
  
"Mmm..." Tenchi agreed. "Just in time for dinner, too... I'm starved!"   
  
***   
  
Meanwhile, Ryoko rushed about inside Washuu's lab. "Where the hell is that damn contraption of hers?"   
  
When Washuu had been abducted from inside her lab, it had reverted back to its former occupation, a simple broom closet. Now that its master had returned, the hyperdimension had opened back up again, still as disorganized as ever. Frustrated, Ryoko deposited Washuu on a simple cot in the corner, and began to search about in desperation. In the few seconds it had taken Ryoko to teleport into the lab, Washuu's pulse had dropped dramatically low, so much so that her heart would beat, pause for a few seconds, then slowly and painfully beat again.   
  
Ryoko was about ready to tear her hair out. The one object that could save her mother's life, and she couldn't find the damned thing...   
  
When she found it. It was small, being no bigger than a small television. It resembled an octopus, eight coiled tentacle-like projections sprouting from its main frame, clamps extending from each tentacle. As always, Washuu had created the machine with her innate sense of flair, adding two googly eyes and an obscene, toothy grin to its main unit. Ryoko had to laugh... this machine had the power to save a person on the brink of death, but its comical appearance made it look like it had been designed to entertain small children for hours.   
  
No time to nitpick over its design, Ryoko thought. She hastened to the side of the cot, placing the grinning main unit at the top of the cot. She attached the coils to Washuu, and, as one last measure, checked her pulse. Her heart beat, then paused...   
  
Her chest, which had been hefting laboriously with her sporadic breathing, seemed to stiffen, then relaxed. Her heart refused to beat anymore.   
  
"Oh God no, not now..." Ryoko moaned. She cradled her mother's prone form into her arms, shaking her gently. "Come on, mom, don't do this now..."   
  
Washuu's body responded, as all recently deceased bodies do, to Ryoko's gentle shaking by flopping about limply, like a wet noodle. Ryoko felt the back of her neck prickle, as she held her dead mother in her arms.   
  
"No... no, no, please, no... NO!"   
  
With an anger born of fear and desperation, Ryoko began to slap Washuu about the face, screaming at her.   
  
"Don't you DARE die on me now, mom, you hear me? Don't you DARE! You fought too damn hard to stay alive to help me get you here, Goddamn it! Don't you dare give up now... FIGHT, damn it!"   
  
Ryoko placed both her hands on Washuu's chest, shocking her gently with her energy in hope of getting her heart to move again. She continued on at the top of her voice with her verbal abuse, berating Washuu for having given up so quickly.   
  
***   
  
Washuu felt herself floating in a peaceful nexus, her mind and spirit calm and soothed, something she had never felt before. Exuberantly, she flew through countless motes of light, feeling the light penetrate her spirit, its warmth leaving her deliciously giddy. Forgotten was her pain and suffering; all she knew now was peace. Having not even the slightest though as to where she existed at the moment, she merely hung in space, feeling such an utter calmness...   
  
"Washuu?"   
  
The sudden voice split the quietness, startling Washuu. It had a vague hint of familiarity, and she turned to its source. Gasping, she brought her hand up to her mouth...   
  
Mikumo.   
  
He stood before her, just as she remembered him, in flowing dress, his bright blue eyes burning deep into her soul. He smiled, and extended his arms to her, beckoning her close. Hesitant, she reached out with a hand to touch his. It was gloved, but as always, warm, and welcoming. Throwing herself at him, she let him enfold her bare skin within his robes, inhaling deeply of his familiar scent. Tears coursed their way freely down her face, splashing gently on his breastplate, as she cried her happiness and joy of finding her lost lover.   
  
"Together.. Finally, we are together, Mikumo... I've missed you so..."   
  
"As have I, all these long years, my beloved."   
  
Washuu looked about. "What of our son? Where is he?"   
  
Mikumo nodded. "Our son still lives... what he inherited from you, my dear, a long life..."   
  
His body seemed to stiffen. Washuu felt this, and looked up into his face. He looked stricken.   
  
"What is wrong, Mikumo?"   
  
"...I ...I hear the cries... of a loved one, very dear to your heart. She cries with pain... can you not hear her?"   
  
Washuu concentrated... then heard it. In her sudden euphoria upon being reunited with her lost love, she hadn't even heard the pained cries of her own daughter. Released from her embrace by Mikumo, she floated to the middle of the open space. The motes of light parted way, to reveal to her a shocking sight. Her own body, colorless in death, lay upon a bed, her machine clamped uselessly to her arms and legs. Ryoko, tired of trying to revive her, lay sprawled across her mother's body, sobbing quietly, hugging her senseless body with both arms.   
  
"Why, mom? Why did you want to give up so easily?... Why did you leave me? I thought you said you were going to keep fighting, but you gave up so easily... was I that bad of a daughter to you? Okay, so I wasn't a model child, but... I sound so pathetic, listen to me. I know I was a terrible person... I don't know if I can change, okay? Please, please, don't just die on me because of that... I... I love you mom, and so does everybody else... what do you expect me to tell Minaka, huh? She's feeling bad enough about herself as it is... please... if not for my sake, at least live for her?..."   
  
Washuu hadn't heard Ryoko's voice in such a helpless cadence for thousands of years. She fell to her knees, crying down to her daughter.   
  
"Oh, God Ryoko, no... don't think that, honey... I didn't die because I wanted to give up... it just happened... no, please don't think that.. You weren't a bad girl, and you aren't now, please don't think I died because of that... I love you so much... I still do..."   
  
Washuu felt Mikumo's hand descend upon her shoulder. She looked up, his gentle face reflecting love and happiness.   
  
"I... Mikumo, I-..."   
  
Mikumo placed a finger upon his lips, hushing Washuu. "I know... we will see each other again one day, we will... but right now, your daughter needs you more. All these years I've watched you, living happily. Often your thoughts would call me to you, but they would fill you with such sorrow. That's not what I want to see. I want to see my little Washuu happy... true, you are happy to see me, but you would be much happier being with your daughter and your other loved ones, wouldn't you?"   
  
Washuu wanted to say "yes", but held herself back. Mikumo laughed softly, and brushed his hand through her hair.   
  
"That was another little quirk about you... you worry yourself about what others might think of your decisions. Don't fret, my love. I will still be waiting for you, no matter how many years pass before you rejoin me. I'll still come to you when you need me, for you are the only one I will ever love. But right now, all your friends, your daughter, are needing your presence greatly. Now go."   
  
Mikumo gave her a gentle push toward the image of her daughter. She stepped toward it, then hesitated, looking tearfully back at Mikumo. He smiled, and waved.   
  
"I'll always be waiting for you, my love!"   
  
She smiled back, and waved to him. "And I will return only to you, my love!"   
  
She stepped into the image. A shock ran through her body, as if she had stepped into a sheet of ice cold water. She felt herself floating downward, nearing her body and the quivering form of her daughter, close enough to reach out and touch her silver-blue hair.   
  
"I'm coming back, my little girl... don't cry anymore..."   
  
Her spirit lay down, melding itself with her body. She didn't want to part with her feeling of peace, as pain began to weave its way into her spirit, but...   
  
Ryoko had run dry. It had been hours now, but it only seemed like a few minutes, as she had cried out all her sorrows. She lay still now, her head resting across her mother's chest, as she held onto her hand. She felt so tired, but she didn't dare leave Washuu...   
  
A vague spark tickled the back of her mind. The astral link... was reactivating? But how? In a panic, Ryoko took Washuu's pulse again. It was very weak, but her heart was beating once more. She could hear a gentle groan through the astral link, and realized that Washuu was straining very hard now to keep herself alive. She hadn't given up, after all. But there was no time to waste. Acting quickly, Ryoko slapped her palm down on the large red button atop the main unit of the machine, and watched as it worked. It made several quiet whirring noises, the googly eyes spinning in circles, the eight tentacle legs twitching every so often as the machine slowly brought Washuu back into the realm of the living. The several slash marks across her face and chest vanished, as did the bruises that lined her ribs where the pirates had shocked her with their prods. The astral link between Ryoko and her mother grew stronger, as Washuu came closer and closer to consciousness. Finally, a faint voice could be heard.   
  
*Well, I see it worked, huh?*   
  
Ryoko, on the verge of tears, smiled wholeheartedly, furiously dabbling at her eyes with her fist.   
  
*God, mom, you scared me to death... no pun intended... but... how...?*   
  
Washuu's voice became clearer now. Ryoko realized that she had stopped communicating with the astral link, and was now fully aware, her green eyes planted steadily on her daughter.   
  
"I love you, is how... I didn't give up because... look, Ryoko... the way you grew up, the influence of Kagato and his evil ways, is what makes you who you are now. Its no fault of yourself, and I didn't die because of that... it just was getting harder and harder for me to keep going, and eventually, I just passed into a peaceful place, away from the pain. It felt so good to me, but I wasn't even aware of the consequences of my passing on... I was just... so free... Mikumo, my love, made me realize that as much as I wanted to stay with him, its much more important to be with you, and all the others right now. My time hasn't come yet... and it won't for quite some time now... so I think its safe to say I'll be hanging around with you for a long time. Just do me a favor... if anything like that happens again, don't you give up as easily as I did. I know you were killing yourself trying to get me back, and that's what I want. When I know its my time to go, I want you to stay back, and let me go... but for now, fight, even when I've stopped fighting... just as you did today, okay?"   
  
Tears, tears that Ryoko had thought had run dry, ran afresh from her eyes as she sat, just taking in her mother's words. Finally, she did something she had never done, something she would not do for many years to come...   
  
She threw herself into Washuu's arms, and cried, grief, sorrow, and joy, all at the same time, flowing from her body, from the repressed memories of her "childhood", until she finally fell asleep in her mother's lap. Washuu simply caressed her daughter's face, stroked her hair, and held her until she knew that Ryoko was fast asleep. Then, with a gentleness unknown of even Washuu, she slipped out of the cot, and brought a few blankets up over Ryoko's prone form, smoothing them out and tucking them in under Ryoko's chin. She gave her a light kiss on the forehead, wiped away her remaining tears, and padded quietly to a corner of her lab to dress.   
  
***   
  
The shock of seeing Washuu, alive and unscathed, walking into the dining room and demanding a plate, was enough to give everybody at the table a double coronary and bypass surgery all at once.   
  
"Buh... but... where's Ryoko?" Tenchi asked, as his shaking hands handed her a dish of rice. Mihoshi was completely white, believing she was in the presence of a ghoul, while Kiyone just sat and stared. Aeka had turned a vague shade of blue, Sasami and Ryo-Ohki had passed out, and Minaka was motionless, her chopsticks holding a piece of fried shrimp in midair for several minutes. Washuu dug in, as unaware of the awkwardness of the situation as ever, and explained between mouthfuls.   
  
"Mmmf... what'sh up with them? *gulp* Anyway, what I'm meaning to say is... *mnch* Ryoko's taking a nap, is all. She went through hell to get me to come back to life, you know..."   
  
Aeka choked on a morsel of greens. "Back to life?... Miss Washuu-..."   
  
As if out of nowhere, a dangerous looking bazooka appeared in Washuu's hands, as she pointed it at Aeka. "Okay, I was lenient before with the 'Miss Washuu' thing, and I'm still letting Minaka call me that when she wants to, but as for you, missie-..."   
  
Aeka held her hands up placatingly. "I'm so sorry, Washuu, really, I won't do it again, on my honor as a princess..."   
  
The bazooka disappeared. "That's better... now, you were saying?"   
  
Aeka coughed gently. "You mean to tell us that you actually died in there?"   
  
"Yeah, yeah... I died... but Ryoko saved me just in the nick of time, don'tcha know... she can be such a good girl at times."   
  
Washuu decided it best to leave out the part about her being dead for so many hours. Regular human function, after a long period of inactivity and lack of oxygen, was pretty much nonexistant after a few hours. If a person was lucky enough to come back to life after a long time period, they would more than likely be vegetating in a hospital bed. Washuu, however, wasn't normal, nor human for that matter. She quickly covered up the "long time" question by explaining that she had just been resting after she had been saved. That seemed to satisfy the others, even if Mihoshi was still convinced that Washuu was a spirit conjured up from the dead.  
*****  
  
A/N: COLLEGE SUCKS UP ALL FREE TIME. That said, I apologize for not updating this like I should. I'm currently working on a continuation of this (already leading into a huge third-part, but the second part is getting a serious overhaul), which I will begin posting in snitchets here and there, once again, WHEN I HAVE THE TIME. People have been immensely patient with me, and for that I'm grateful. Just remember, I haven't died yet...  
  
Levaticus: No, you've just been a lazy bum, that's all... 


	7. Owakare

All characters relating to Tenchi Muyo! and its multiverses, if not stated before, are (c) AIC/Pioneer. All other characters not relating   
to it (Minaka, Tetsuri, etc.) are strictly of my creation.  
  
Minaka Muyo! (No Need for Minaka!)  
Chapter 7: Owakare...  
Written by: Sue "Speck" Quigley  
  
***   
  
Hours later, as the rest of the residence watched a favorite television program, Washuu stepped outside to study the constellations, a favorite pastime on beautiful nights such as this. As her hands moved in a blur over her transparent keyboard, a vague shadow, created by the moonlight, hove into view. She gasped, and turned quickly, but relaxed as she saw it was only Minaka.   
  
"Goodness, please don't scare me like that again. I think I've had enough of looming shadows for one day, thank you."   
  
Minaka chuckled and sat down next to her friend, drawing her knees awkwardly up to her chest and crossing her arms over them, leaning her head on her arms. She stared at the night sky, unwilling to tell her friend her news, but knowing she had to all the same.   
  
"So what's on your mind? You're awfully quiet," Washuu pressed. Minaka took a deep breath.   
  
"The people of Jurai know I'm alive now. They intercepted that I, along with the GP, brought down the pirates' armada. They want me to go back home."   
  
Washuu had stopped typing. "So... you'll be leaving then?"   
  
Minaka nodded briskly. "Yeah... tomorrow, as soon as I possibly can. I've already gotten my things, and Mikumo's things, together. Neku-oh's ready to go back home, too..."   
  
She drifted off in midspeech, her throat tightening. Washuu simply waved her hand, disposing of her computer, and sat staring at the stars intently.   
  
"We'll miss you, you know... Sasami really loves your baby..."   
  
"I know... but... I brought so much trouble upon you and all the others... I'm afraid of that happening again... its so peaceful here, and happy... but I brought so much fear and pain to you all... I love you all very deeply, but I couldn't bear it if I let something like that happen again. Besides, don't you think it's a little crowded now with me and my son here? I would rather go back home knowing you all are happy, than stay here and watch as more tensions arise."   
  
Washuu wanted desperately to question her young friend's reasoning, but kept it to herself, sighing deeply. "Well... it is up to you, don't let me or the others change your mind. We'll miss you a lot, but if you feel it's the best thing, then, go on ahead and go back to Jurai."   
  
Minaka felt her anxiety lighten up a bit. "Oh, God, thank you, Miss Washuu, I was so afraid you'd be angry at me for telling you all this. I... I miss Jurai though... I love it here, but I miss my homeland."   
  
Washuu just kept staring at the stars. "Why would I be angry, huh? You're going back home, building up a new life for yourself. I'm very happy for you, really..."   
  
Deep down, Washuu fought the urge to burst into tears. She was lying right through her teeth, but she made her voice sound chipper and lighthearted, to ward off any thoughts that she desperately and jealously wanted to keep Minaka here, on Earth. But, reflectively, she knew that forcing her to stay would be similar to keeping a firefly in a jar; eventually, she would burn out, and would probably never be able to go out on her own. She wanted her to stay, but at the same time, wanted what was best for her friend.   
  
The silence between them lasted for hours as Minaka and Washuu gazed at the stars in the night sky. Finally, the sky began to lighten, and the stars began to vanish.   
  
"It's morning," Washuu commented.   
  
"Yes... it is... I should be getting ready to go, I need to get my satchel and other things together and start putting them in Neku-oh's main cargo bay."   
  
Busily, Minaka got up from her spot on the porch, and rushed inside, leaving Washuu, who remained lying on her back, staring as the last remnants of stars faded away. No one saw the single tear run from Washuu's eye as her body convulsed with repressed sobs.   
  
***   
  
"I wish to thank you all, for your kindness and generosity to me, and my son, in our times of need. I will return the favor again someday, I promise, but for now, I need to go out and get on with my life, and get out of your hair for a while."   
  
Minaka tried to compose herself as she spoke to the small group that had gathered themselves to bid her farewell, but she wasn't succeeding very well. Quiet tears made their way down her face, as her son slept peacefully in her arms.   
  
"Well, we wish you a good journey, Minaka, and we do hope to see you again someday," Tenchi said. This garnered agreement from all, as each member of the "family" said goodbye to her. Mihoshi sobbed melodramatically, tears spouting from her eyes like fountains.   
  
"Its just so sad... we'll miss you, Minaka!" she cried.   
  
Kiyone came very close to giving Mihoshi a gentle whack across her back, but was having a hard time not crying herself. She merely shook Minaka's free hand, and smiled.   
  
"Well, please do come back and visit someday, okay?"   
  
Minaka nodded. "I'll be sure of it!"   
  
Aeka stepped forward, Sasami in front of her, and bowed. "We will all miss you deeply, Minaka, and your company with us. It has been truly a wonderful time for us, and we hope it has been the same for you."   
  
Sasami, snuffling quietly, presented Minaka with a small bouquet of wildflowers. "I... I found them yesterday, I thought you would like them..."   
  
Bending down to the small girl's level, Minaka hugged her close. "I love them, Sasami... I'll put them in a vase right away when I get on board Neku-oh, and they'll be out so I can see them and be reminded of you, okay?"   
  
Sasami sobbed quietly, hugging Minaka's waist, as Aeka gently pulled her away.   
  
Ryoko stalked up, the usual fierce glint in her eye, and flashed a grin to Minaka.   
  
"Try not getting in too much trouble now, okay? You're one hell of a fighter, y'know... I'll miss that..."   
  
Minaka grinned. "Well, I am a mother now, but I'll keep training... maybe if I come back one day I'll be able to beat you, huh?"   
  
"Hah! Not likely!" Ryoko called good-naturedly.   
  
Minaka waved to all, then realized...   
  
"Oh... where's Miss Washuu? I thought..."   
  
"Master Minaka, we must leave now!" called Neku-oh.   
  
"Oh..." Minaka turned about, looking this way and that, but couldn't find her old friend. Dejectedly, she lowered her head.   
  
"Well... I can't wait any longer... I would have liked to have said goodbye to her..."   
  
Tenchi placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll tell her you said goodbye, okay?"   
  
Reassured, Minaka smiled, and began to pad to her ship. "Okay... thank you Tenchi. Goodbye everybody!"   
  
She waved, as a small beam of red light washed over her and her son, and teleported them into the ship. Neku-oh's main thrust fired up, and the ship lifted slowly out of the water, the engines growling powerfully. The ship rose, higher and higher, until it reached a safe spot in midair, when the main thrusters gave off a deafening roar and sent the ship flying to outer space.   
  
The silence was excruciating. All six stood, looking at the spot where Minaka's ship had been, the water in Funaho Pond rippling gently as it settled back to its crystal calmness once more.   
  
"So... she's gone..." Aeka sighed.   
  
"Yeah," Sasami sniffed. "I'm gonna miss her so much."   
  
"Ah, c'mon guys... Minaka wouldn't want us looking like a bunch of frogspawn now would she? Come on, lets go back to the house and get something to eat, I'm starved!"   
  
Ryoko, with her usual rigid approach to everything, grinned and winked. Sasami started to smile.   
  
"Yeah, you're right... we haven't even had any breakfast yet, oh my goodness!" Hurriedly, she rushed back to the house to get cooking. One after the other, the five remaining followed Sasami back to the house, and once again, the sounds of regular life took voice in the Masaki residence...   
  
Washuu, deep in her lab, gazed at a blank monitor. When would she see it?...   
  
***   
  
Minaka took a deep breath, watching as the vastness of space engulfed Earth, leaving nothing but a speck, glowing brightly in the dark depths of space.   
  
"Well... better contact the Royal Fleet. They'll want to know I'm returning..." Minaka mused quietly. She sat down at a small communications panel, and pressed a button, opening hailing frequencies to Jurai. The screen hung for a few moments, then revealed the gruff looking face of an old comrade.   
  
"Eh? What's this?... Oh ho, so it is true, you are alive! Great to see you, Minaka!"   
  
Minaka smiled. "Well, Captain Benkei... I'm so sorry I passed out like that and made you all go through the hassle of disposing of me..."   
  
Benkei laughed. "Ah, well, we were able to pull quite a few strings to get your records back, so don't worry about it."   
  
A tiny cry broke the silence between the two.   
  
"Eh? What was that? Did an engine blow out on old Neku-oh?"   
  
Neku-oh gave a snort of indignation. "Well, excuse me for being old..."   
  
Benkei laughed. "Aw, Neku-oh, don't get your roots in a rut, old boy, I was just kidding. No, what was that noise really?"   
  
Minaka held up her son, smiling gently. "Meet my son Mikumo."   
  
Benkei gave a look of astonishment. "No kiddin'... that's your kid? Wow... knew you were gone for a long time, but... wow, a baby?"   
  
"It's a very long story... I'd rather not explain right now, maybe later?"   
  
Benkei nodded. "Of course. I suppose you'll be wanting leave of services for a while to take care of the little tyke, hmm?"   
  
Minaka nodded. "Yes... I plan on visiting my mother... she knows I'm alive, right sir?"   
  
"Couldn't be happier. She's coming to headquarters to welcome you back home, as well as the entire of the Jurai fleet and the Royals. You're one lucky stiff, Minaka."   
  
The Royals? Wow...   
  
"Well, I suppose I oughta shut my chops and let you get some rest before ya get here, there's gonna be a big bash when you get here. But, uh, don't tell anybody I told you of this, okay? S'posed to be a secret..."   
  
Minaka laughed. "You always were lousy with keeping secrets, Benkei. Alright, I'll act surprised and I won't tell anybody of this little meeting, how's that for a deal?"   
  
Benkei's red face seemed to redden even further. "That'd be perfect, thanks Minaka. Take care now! Benkei out!"   
  
The face of her comrade faded from view, and the window phased out. Grinning, Minaka took Mikumo and placed him in a small cradle that Neku-oh himself had fashioned out of his own roots. She slumped by his roots, and patted him gently.   
  
"Let's go home, Neku-oh..."   
  
Neku-oh could feel the presence of sadness in his master, but didn't know whether to ask her what was wrong, or leave her be. He decided to ask, when Minaka got up and began to reorganize her belongings. She fished about in her satchel, pulling out her sword, some clothes... and a mysterious object. It was a puppet, closely resembling...   
  
"Miss Washuu?"...   
  
It was adorable, wearing Washuu's signature Galactic Academy uniform, a large red "C" stitched across its front. Musingly, she turned the puppet over, and noticed that it was wearing a small pack, resembling a jet pack or some other carry-on. It had a large red button on it, and, curious, Minaka pressed it...   
  
***   
  
BREEP! BREEP!   
  
Washuu popped to attention from a current work of art, and ran to her control panel. Minaka was activating C-chan's communications system!   
  
***   
  
Minaka wondered if the small jet pack was to shoot miniature flames at her as she pressed the button, as it began to beep quietly. Suddenly, a large window appeared from the top of the machine, and the familiar face of Washuu blinked into view.   
  
"Well hello there Minaka! How goes your travels?"   
  
Minaka smiled, tears running freely from her eyes. "You did want to say goodbye! Oh, I was so worried..."   
  
Washuu tutted quietly. "Oh come on, you think I would miss sayin' goodbye to you? O'course not! I just wanted to make it personal, is all... the puppet was a nice touch, don'tcha think?"   
  
Minaka had to chuckle. "Oh yes, a very nice touch... looks just like you..."   
  
Two more puppets, identical to C-chan, only wearing A and B on the fronts of their outfits, popped up on both of Washuu's shoulders.   
  
"Of course it looks like her, silly!" A-chan piped.   
  
"She designed us with herself in mind!" B-chan continued.   
  
"ISN'T SHE A GENIUS?" they both chimed.   
  
Minaka had to struggle to keep herself from laughing out loud. "Yes, yes, she is a genius, all right..."   
  
The two puppets disappeared, and Washuu remained, smiling at her young friend.   
  
"Well, the battery powering this communications device was designed to last for only about five minutes... looks like our time is almost up..."   
  
Minaka looked up. "Oh, no... I wanted to talk to you... I wanted to say I'll miss you, and I'll always keep you in my memory, okay?"   
  
Washuu swiped at her eye with a hand. "Dang eyelash... right in my eye... well, listen, I'll miss you too, and Mikumo, of course... come back to visit us someday, okay? You know where we are..."   
  
Minaka nodded. "I will, I promise, Washuu-chan!"   
  
The window began to crackle, and Washuu's image became fuzzy.   
  
"See ya 'round, Minaka!"   
  
"Same to you, Miss Washuu!"   
  
Washuu, in her lab, watched as the image of Minaka faded out completely, the window returning to its state of blankness. Two tears lined their way down her face, as she sat in the silence and gloom of her empty, little laboratory. It had been so big, before, with Minaka and the baby keeping Washuu both occupied and company... now, it was just so... empty...   
  
"Um, Mis- er... Washuu-chan?"   
  
Washuu looked up to see little Sasami standing in the doorway leading to the living room. She furiously scrubbed both eyes with her fists, and put on a cheerful voice, however laden with cracks of emotion.   
  
"Now now, Sasami, the "Miss Washuu" rule doesn't apply to you, I just use it to keep the others in line, you know that... what can I do ya for?"   
  
Sasami quietly padded in, and bowed to Washuu. "The others are having tea, and wanted to know if you'd like to come join us."   
  
Washuu made to say "yes", when Sasami threw herself into her arms, crying quietly. "I miss Minaka and Mikumo so much, Washuu..."   
  
Smiling, Washuu petted Sasami's hair, and hugged her. "I know, sweetie, I know... I miss her, too... my lab's so empty without her..."   
  
Sasami looked up, her dark red eyes searching for one answer. "Miss Washuu, will she ever be back?"   
  
Washuu grinned, and held Sasami close, looking upwards, to the dark ceiling of her lab, perhaps through the ceiling and to the stars of space...   
  
"I believe she will... someday, in the future, she'll be back. I just know it."   
  
END OF PART I   
  
***  
  
A/N: So, that's thee grand finalé (long in coming, too...) of this fic. I hope you enjoyed the trip, and, please, lemme know what you thought of it by sending an email my way, hmm? I'd really appreciate it. Sayonara fer now! :3 


End file.
